I Need You
by Raya Kor-El
Summary: Kara Danvers thought her life would finally settle down after the events with Myriad. Everything changed as a certain Scarlet Speedster and Co. show up asking for her help. Now they all must band together as they fight a force like they've never been up to before. [[DISCLAIMER/ I DO NOT OWN SUPERGIRL, THE FLASH, BATMAN, THE CW, ANY IMAGES USED OR ANY CHARACTERS IN THE STORY]]
1. Chapter 1

_My name is Kara Zor-El. When I was a child my planet Krypton was dying. I was sent to Earth to protect my cousin, but my pod got knocked off course and by the time I got here my cousin had grown up and become Superman. And so, I hid my powers and lived among humans working as an assistant to Cat Grant, a media mogul, at CatCo World Wide Media. Until not long ago when an accident forced me to reveal myself to the world. After that event, I became National City_ _'_ _s hero. Just recently I had saved the city and the world from domination by a scheme called Myriad. Now, I work with my adoptive sister for the DEO to protect my city from alien life or anyone else that means to cause it harm. I am Supergirl._

I landed in my apartment and sunk to my couch. I groaned and closed my eyes. "Long day?" My head suddenly snapped up and I scanned my apartment. Alex was standing in the kitchen with a few boxes of pizza. I pulled myself off the couch slowly and grabbed a slice. "You have no clue. 3 building fires, 6 robberies, 2 car chases, and 1 extremely feisty cat in a tree." She laughed. "Sounds rough." She walked over to the couch and took a bite of her pizza. "Wait, where were you today?" She sat down. "Huh?"

"Usually you're at the DEO too. Where were you?"

"Oh, J'onn had me and Alpha team investigate suspected activity near the warehouses by the docks."

"He didn't tell me."

"It wasn't anything big. Just some robbers. Besides, you said yourself you were busy."

"Yeah I guess."

I sat down on a seat across from her and chewed my pizza methodically. "So how has the promotion at CatCo been?" I was still thinking about her mission. "Why didn't he at least tell me? I mean, I probably could've helped more if I knew and if something went wrong." She shook her head. "Don't worry about it Kara. You know that J'onn would've told you if he thought we were in danger in any way." I sighed and continued to eat my pizza.

Alex was staring at me. "Do I have something on my face?" She smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm just thinking about these past few months." I looked down at the 3rd box pizza. It was no longer calling my name. "Oh." Thoughts raced through my mind. _Red Kryptonite? Myriad?_ Suddenly, my mind flashed back to the last few seconds I was conscious in space. The feeling of being stuck in an endless void sickened me and I felt uneasy. I caught my breath and pushed the pizza box away. "Kara?" She broke me out of my thoughts.

I looked back up at her. She was leaning closer and her eyebrow was raised. "You okay?" I nodded. "Yeah." I breathed softly. She leaned back and crossed her arms.

"I don't believe that. By now, that pizza would be gone." I glanced back at the box for a second. "It's just a lot to think about. I still can't believe all _that_ happened just recently." I hugged myself tightly. Alex got up and sat next to me.

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "I know it is. Even I'm still trying to process it. If you ever want to talk about anything at all, Kara, you know that I will listen. I love you." I smiled. "I will. I love you too Alex."

The next morning, I made my way to CatCo. I entered my office and sat down. I still couldn't believe that Cat Grant had given me my own office. There was a knock on the door. I glanced up over my glasses and used my x-ray vision. It was Winn and he was carrying donuts. "Come in Winn." The door opened and Winn came in smiling. "Hi Kara. I'm really liking the new office." He placed the donuts down on my desk. "I know, it's great. I am still having a hard time believing this." He sat down on my chair. "Do you think this could mean a possible promotion for your favorite IT guy?" He wagged his eyebrows.

I glanced over at the donuts. "I could put in a good word, but it depends on what is in that box." He opened the top slowly. It was an assorted arrangement of donuts.

"I take it you're hungry?" I nodded. "Yeah, I left late today. Alex and I were up almost all night. I didn't have time to eat anything." He pushed the box to me. "YES!" I grabbed a glazed donut. "So." Winn glanced around and peered out the door. "Super friend talk?" I shook my head. "We are not calling ourselves that. Besides, James isn't-" At that moment, James strolled through the door. "Hey Kara." He smiled as he sat down.

He reached out for a donut, but Winn stopped him. "I wouldn't." He gestured to me. "Late night and no breakfast." He started to retract his hand. "No, its fine. You both can have some." They both smiled and took a donut. "So, super friends?" Winn asked. "We are not calling ourselves that." James stated. "I told you Winn. But sure." I quickly scanned the floor and it seemed that everyone was preoccupied. "There's been nothing out of the ordinary lately. No aliens. But something strange that I did notice is that there are more events going on than usual. Last night alone I was out until almost midnight."

James and Winn both exchanged glances. "What?" They both looked away quickly. "What's happening?" James avoided my eyes, but Winn wasn't as lucky. I stared him down and he quickly crumbled. "Rumor is that there is a new villain in town." I rolled my eyes. "Of course, there is. Who?"

"People said that his name is Simon Tycho."

"And?"

"That's it. He's got some deep roots in the Russian mafia, he's a bit violent and extremely intelligent, but that's it."

"Really? He doesn't sound that bad."

"I'm actually surprised that you didn't know. You do work at a media company and for the DEO." I sighed. "I know that. I've just been- a little preoccupied now."

Suddenly, there was a loud boom and the building rattled. The three of us stood up quickly. "What the hell was that?" James questioned. "Cover for me." I stated and ran off. There was only one thing that I knew that could've done that. I quickly changed and took to the skies.

As I flew over National City, I scanned the streets. Finally, I found what I was looking for; a streak of red and yellow. When I got closer, I noticed that there were 4 streaks speeding down Main Street.

I flew directly above the streak until we met outside the city's limits. Once it stopped, I saw four people collapse on the ground and the 4 streaks turned into one. I stared at his figure in disbelief. "Flash?"


	2. Chapter 2

The Flash turned around and smiled. "Supergirl!" We quickly gave each other a hug.

I stepped back and he pulled off his mask. "Wait, what are you doing here?" I glanced behind him. The 4 people were slowly getting to their feet. "Who are they?" He turned to the people. "Do you have somewhere that we can be more secluded? There's something that's been happening to us." I quickly took a piece of paper and wrote my address on it. "Meet me here in 2 hours. And keep my real name secret. See ya later Barry." I whispered before taking off in the sky and back to CatCo.

I landed back on the roof and made my way to my office. James was still lingering there. I walked back in and he stood up. "Kara, what was that?" I grabbed another donut. "Just our friend in a red spandex." He raised his eyebrow.

I sighed. "Barry Allen." Instantly, James' composure changed. "Oh, but I thought that he was from a different Earth. You sent him back." I shrugged. "I don't know why he's here again. But I think he may need my help." James frowned slightly, but I saw it.

"James, I'm not going to turn him away. He looked a bit desperate."

"Kara, I know that you trust him, but I'm not that sure-"

"No, he helped me last time with Livewire and Silver Banshee. I won't turn him away when he needs my help. It's not right."

"I didn't say that. I just want you to be cautious around him. Please Kara."

"I always am James."

He walked back to the door. "Let me know how the meeting goes." As he left, Winn walked back into the room. "What's wrong with him?" Winn jabbed his thumb in the direction that James left in. "Barry is back. I said that he might need help from Supergirl and James told me not to trust him." He walked closer to me. "But I thought you sent him back to his Earth." I adjusted my glasses. "I did, but apparently, he found a way to get back here. And he brought some friends." Winn smiled. "Really? Super friends?" I shrugged. "I don't think so. It looked like Barry carried the four of them-" Winn interrupted me. "Four? Wow, he must have gotten stronger." He trailed off. I rolled my eyes. " _Winn_." He broke out of his nerd trance. "Huh? Oh sorry."

I smiled lightly before turning serious. "He asked for a more private place and I offered my apartment. I was hoping that you and James would help me, but it seems he won't be there." He nodded. "Of course, I'll be there Kara. Wait, aren't you worried about keeping Supergirl's identity under wraps?" I shook my head. "No, I told Barry to keep it a secret. He understood."

2 hours later, Winn and I were in my apartment when there was a knock on my door. I opened it up expecting to see Barry, but instead I saw James. "James?" He smiled weakly. "Hey Kara. I'm sorry about earlier. Can I still help Barry and his friends?" I nodded and let him in. "How did you know about this?" James gestured to Winn and he smiled. A few minutes later there was another knock on my door. I walked over and opened the door to see Barry in his red spandex and a large trench coat. His friends were all behind him. I allowed them in and we all sat down. There were 2 men and 2 women there. Barry introduced all of them to us. "This is Joe West, he raised me since I was 14." A dark-skinned man shook my hand. I noticed that he had a Central City police badge under his untucked shirt.

Next an olive-skinned man and long hair shook my hand. "This is Cisco Ramone; he works a S.T.A.R. Labs with Dr. Snow. And speaking of Dr. Snow, Kara this is Caitlin." A woman with reddish brown hair shook my hand.

"And lastly, this is Iris West, Joe's daughter and my best friend." I shook her hand. "It's so nice to meet you all. I'm Kara Danvers and these are my best friends Winn Schott and James Olsen. We work at CatCo World Wide Media." Cisco piped up. "What do you do, Winn?" Winn looked nervously at Cisco.

"Oh, uh, I'm an IT guy." He answered shyly. Cisco smiled. "Really? I used to be an IT guy too."

Winn smiled. I turned to Barry and pulled him away from the group. "Why are you back? I thought I helped you get there." He nodded. "You did, but we needed to come back."

"Why?"

"I need your help. There's been something on my Earth. Something that we can't deal with. You were the first one to pop into my head. He's a being that had merged with a human on Earth."

In the back of my head, I felt overjoyed and honored because I was the first one he thought of. Not my cousin, not any of the heroes on his Earth. Me. "What's his name?"

"His real name was Richard Swift, but he goes by Shade now."

I paused. "What has he done?" Barry ran his fingers through his hair. "More like what hasn't he done. He's been controlling all the crime in Central City. He's been murdering, robbing, burning the city, attacking anyone he can. Pretty much everything a villain can do to be the worst. I can't keep up with him. He's got powers too. More than me."

I crossed my arms. "Like what?" He started to count on his fingers.

"Shadow manipulation, demon control, shadow projection, teleportation, force-fields. All his powers are tied to some type of magic controlled by the shadow." I blinked, trying to process all the information he just told me. "So, what are they doing here?"

"My Earth isn't safe for them. I think he knows who my secret identity is. I can't risk their lives. So, can you help me?"

I nodded and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Of course, Barry, I help you as much as I can. I would offer you and your friends to stay here, but it's a bit small." He smiled. "Nah, it's okay. I saw that there is an opening in the building though. We all decided to pitch in. Especially since it might take a while to fix the problem and get back."

After a few hours, Barry and the rest of his posse left. I sat down and Winn and James sat next to me. "So why is Barry here?" I explained about Shade and the threat to his family and friends. "You know what this means right?" James asked. I shrugged. "That Barry's fight will come to National City and it'll all be a huge mess." I stared at James for a second. What was wrong with him?

"What, you don't think I can handle it?"

James' eyes widened. "What? Kara no, I didn't mean that."

"Are you going to call my cousin as soon as Shade gets here, or will you call Kal again just after I leave to fight Shade?"

James was speechless for a second. I could feel Winn tense up. "Kara, I don't think he meant it like that." Winn explained. Both men stared at me in concern. I had a quick flashback to the Red Kryptonite and I closed my eyes. I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Kara, are you okay?" James asked. I opened my eyes and looked at him before taking in a breath. "Yeah, I am. I guess I'm under a bit more stress than usual with Tycho in the city."

Winn and James both looked at each other for a second. It seemed like James wanted to talk to me alone. Winn got the message and left my apartment. "I'm sorry James, I didn't mean it." I said after a few minutes of silence. He smiled softly. "I know you didn't. And Kara, you know that I believe in you, right?"

I nodded and he grabbed my chin gently. "But I also want to protect you. After all these events, I know you can handle yourself. But I still care about you, we all do." I smiled shyly. "Thanks James." Suddenly, I heard sirens in the distance. "Up, up, and away." James joked as I changed and raced off.


	3. Chapter 3

I flew through the sky and spotted another building fire. I landed down by the fire chief. "What can I do to help?" The chief turned to me. "Supergirl! Thank God, you're here! We have a fire crew trapped on the 15th floor and a suspected person stuck somewhere on the 17th."

I charged into the building and made my way to the 15th floor. The flames were intense and the smoke was making it hard to breathe since it was exceedingly thick.

I used my x-ray vision and I spotted the fire crew. 2 of the men were trying to remove a large beam off the third man. I broke through the wall and lifted the beam off the trapped fireman. I rushed the 3 men back down to the street level. "There still a person trapped on the 17th floor!" One of the fire crew members told me. I shot into the building and began to search. The flames were even larger up here and the smoke was almost unbearable. "Hello?" I coughed as I tried to use my x-ray vision, but for some reason, there was lead all over the place.

There was an explosion and the building shook. "Is anyone here?" I yelled over the roar of the flames. I heard a little girl's voice call out. I ran through the hallways and finally found her. She couldn't be any older than 6 years old. She was huddled in the corner away from some large flames. "I'm going to take you out of here and to somewhere safe okay?" She nodded and I scooped her up in my arms. Suddenly the flames roared to life. I grabbed my cape and wrapped it around her. There was a large crack and in the corner of my eye I saw a beam coming my way.

I reacted, but I was too slow. The beam clipped my side, but luckily only ripping part of my suit. The floor started to give way and I flew out of the window. As soon as I cleared the building, it began to collapse. I landed and handed the girl to the paramedics. I then turned to the building and used my freeze breath to put out the fire. In seconds, there weren't any flames and the building was a smoldering mess.

Civilians from the street began to applaud me. I smiled and jumped back into the sky. Finally, I made it back to my apartment and sat down on my bed. "Not a campfire with the firemen of the city, I'm guessing." I jumped as I heard James' voice. "No, unfortunately not. Building fire on 2nd street with people trapped inside."

His eyes glanced over my figure. "Oh, god Kara, are you okay?" He started to rush to my side, but I waved him off. "It's fine James. It was just a beam that caught me by surprise." I glanced down to the torn fabric. "Winn is going to kill me if he finds out." My eyes suddenly shot to his. "You can't tell him." He held his hands up in surrender. "I won't." I sunk back into my bed. "What are you still doing here?" I asked with my eyes closed. I felt him sit down on my bed. "Kara, there's something that I want to tell you. It's been bothering me for a while now."

I opened my eyes and saw him staring down at me. He opened his mouth to say something, but more sirens interrupted him. I groaned. "Sometimes, I wonder what it's like to have a normal life." James laughed softly.

I found some safety pins and patched up the suit. I used my super hearing and listened to the police radio. "Car chase. Apparently been going on for 2 and a half hours now." I glanced over to my clock on the wall. It read 11:53 pm. "You might want to head home James. This might take a while." He looked like he wanted to say more, but I jumped out of my window.

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of something burning. I groggily walked to my kitchen, but not without glancing in the mirror. My hair was a mess, there was soot all over me, and my suit was torn. I groaned internally and trudged to the kitchen.

To my surprise, Alex was cooking. She was over the stove, trying to stop the smoke from rising from what seemed like bacon. Sitting on my counter were pancakes, eggs, and sticky buns that Alex managed to not burn. Alex saw me in the corner of her eyes and laughed. "Morning Kara. Sorry about the smoke. I'm trying." I laughed lightly. "Whoa, who hit you with a car last night?" She joked. "Actually, it was a truck. 2001 black Ford Bronco. And technically, I hit it first. And let's not mention the building fire." She looked away from the burned bacon and her smile dropped.

"Oh Kara-" She took a step toward me. I held my hand up. "I'm fine. A wooden beam collapsed and caught me by surprise." Her eyes lingered on my side for a second longer.

I walked over to the kitchen and grabbed some crispy bacon. She lightly slapped my hand with the spatula. "Hey!" She laughed.

"Wait until I'm done."

"I can't. I'm starving. That car chase took forever."

"What time did you get back?"

"What time is it now?"

"Almost 7:30."

"About 2. He had hostages with him. It was a long standoff."

She handed me a cup of coffee. "That must be rough." I sat down and took a bite of bacon. It was charred beyond saving. I set the bacon back down. "Yeah. But luckily I don't have to go to CatCo today."

She gestured over to my phone. "Yeah, about that." I frowned. " _No_." I whimpered pathetically. Alex pointed to the phone and flipped a pancake. I saw a text from Winn.

I read the message and it was only him being upset about the suit. "Really, Alex? I was getting ready to cry if I had to go in today." She smiled. "I have to annoy you somehow." I rolled my eyes. "What's the deal with the breakfast?"

She placed her hands on her hips. "Hey if you don't want it-" I interrupted her. "I never said that." Alex continued. "Then I'll just have to eat it all." Now I laughed. "Yeah right, as if you can eat as much as me. Remember that one time you tried when we were 15. You almost threw up." She crossed her arms. "Hey, I was pretty close to you at one point though."

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. I went to open it, but Alex stopped me. "Kara, the suit!" She whispered. I looked through the door and saw Barry. I opened it. "Hey Kara, whoa, what happened to you?" I allowed him in and closed the door. "Busy night with a building fire and a long car chase."

Barry glanced over at Alex. "What's up Barry?" His eyes snapped over to mine. He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, um, do you have any guy clothes? I was kind of in a rush so I didn't grab street clothes. Joe and Cisco's clothes are a bit too small for me." I just noticed that he was still wearing his bright red suit covered by a trench coat. Alex laughed. "Yeah, I doubt she'll be able to help you there Barry."

I thought for a moment. "Actually, I might have some of James' old clothes you can use. Let me go and get them for you." I walked off and grabbed a pair of dark jeans and a blue shirt.

I walked back and handed it to him. He smiled at me. "Thanks Kara. I guess I'll see you later. And Alex, breakfast is burning." He walked out of my apartment. She rushed over to the bacon and fanned the smoke.

I filled up a plate and sat down in silence. I could feel Alex's eyes on me. "Okay first, why do you have James' clothes? And secondly, do I sense a bit of a crush on a certain Speedster?" I blushed a bit and stuttered. "Uh, wait, what? No, I'm just helping Barry out." She shook her head. "And I have James' clothes because it's a rendezvous point for Winn and James if something bad were to happen. I have some of Winn's clothes too, but I doubt they'd fit Barry." Alex narrowed her eyes. "Uh huh, stop changing the subject."

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

I scowled at her. "You never answered my question. What's the deal with the breakfast?" Seriousness washed over her face. "It's about that mission a few days ago, I lied, it wasn't some suspected activity. It was some ties to a man named Simon Tycho." My head snapped to her. "I've heard of him before. James and Winn told me about him." She nodded. "He's been stirring up the city lately as you have noticed." I placed my food back on the plate. I walked over to her. "That's all been him? Why is he only attacking National City now?" Alex sighed. "I don't really know. J'onn told me last night that he had some information for us. He wants us to be there this morning." I pushed my hair out of my face. "When do we need to be there?" Alex glanced at the clock. "In about an hour." We quickly finished off the breakfast and I grabbed my suit.

"Whoa, where are you going?"

"I need Winn to fix this. I'll be back in a few minutes. If not, just meet me there."

I flew over the city and to Winn's apartment. I knocked on his window and I heard a startled yelp. He opened the window and stuck his head out. It was completely messy and it seemed he just woke up. "Ugh, Kara?" I landed in his bedroom. "Look Winn, I'm really sorry about the suit and everything, but I need you to fix it. Please." He looked at me groggily.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"I know it's early, but I've been called into the DEO about Tycho."

Winn sighed, but grabbed the suit. "Thank you so much Winn!" He grunted and began to fix the suit. A few minutes later he finished. "Yes! Thank you!" I rushed out of the window. "You owe me a movie marathon!" He shouted out of the window.

I landed in my apartment and noticed that Alex was already gone. I changed into the suit and I headed off to the DEO to meet J'onn.

J'onn and Alex where already talking when I walked in. "Supergirl! There you are." I jogged over to them. "Sorry, I had to make an emergency stop." J'onn stared at me for a second.

"Anyway, as I was saying to Alex is that Tycho is a 28-year-old trillionaire and a brilliant mastermind." A picture popped up on the screen. There was a man with bright blond hair and blue eyes. "He runs several of the world's largest mega-corporations, making CatCo and its influences seem like nothing." J'onn cleared his throat before continuing. "What his company does is still a mystery to most of the public. What we do know is that Tycho Industries has many contracts with various governments, including our own. Tycho Industries is one of the largest suppliers of weapons technology and biotech."

A few pictures of criminals popped on screen, all wearing the same logo on their shoulders. "It seems that he has been hiring gunman around the city. The reason why you have been working almost nonstop and making it seem like you can't take care of the city." I saw a woman in the pictures standing next to Tycho. "Who's that?"

Another picture popped on screen. "Janet Thorn. 23, and the assistant to Tycho. According to our sources, she is Tycho's 'Number 1' and the only one he truly trusts." I crossed my arms. "So why is he here now?" The screens went dark. "We have reason to believe that he is trying to lure you out." I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why would he want me?"

J'onn hesitated. "Why does he want Supergirl?" Alex repeated, sounding a bit protective. "Ever since your cousin landed here all those years ago, he intrigued many people. Tycho was one of those people, but being as Superman was the only Kryptonian on the planet at the time, he couldn't do much to quench his thirst for knowledge about your kind." Realization dawned on me. "So, he wants me to learn about Kryptonians." I shuddered. J'onn nodded sadly. "Yes. We've dug up some other facts about Tycho, and nothing good showed up."

Alex looked nervous and I felt uneasy. "Tycho thinks that there is a way to control Kryptonians, that your kind can be made into the 'perfect slave force', or maybe yield cures for all disease on Earth. He wants to make mankind into virtual gods." I grabbed onto the table as I tried to steady myself. "Supergirl?" J'onn asked. "I'm fine. Just a busy night and a lot to take in about Tycho." I glanced up at Alex and she looked pale.

"We are worried that he'll get his hands on you. So, I've decided to have and escort-" I interrupted him. "No, I don't need an escort."

" _Kara_."

"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself."

"It's not that we don't believe in you Kara, we want to protect you. Right Alex?"

"Please listen to him Kara."

I shook my head. "No, I can't endanger any DEO agents."

Alex smiled. "You won't. I'm pretty sure that the Flash wouldn't mind working with you." J'onn looked over to Alex in surprise. "He's back? Why?" I sighed. "Long story. But I can't just volunteer him for this." Alex pointed to the door. "Then why don't you ask him? Besides, I think that his friends would be okay with it." J'onn looked confused. "Can you explain it to J'onn, Alex? I need to talk with the Flash."

I flew back to my apartment. I changed into my normal clothes and knocked on their door. An exhausted Cisco opened the door. "Kara? What are you doing here?" I glanced over his shoulder. "Is Barry here? I need to talk to him." He opened the door further and I walked in. "Barry!" Cisco called out. "One second." I heard Barry answer. Cisco turned back to me. "Are there any good restaurants nearby?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, down the street is Noonan's. It's good. I go there all the time." Barry walked out of the hallway and Cisco muttered tired thanks.

Barry smiled at me. "Hey, what's up?" I shuffled on my feet before explaining what happened. He seemed to take it very well. "Of course, I'll help you Kara. What are friends for?" He grabbed me in a hug. As I hugged him back, I felt extremely comfortable in his arms. Even though I was stronger, I enjoyed having his strong arms hold me. He slowly pulled away. "So, when do we start?" I heard some sirens in the distance. "How about now? There's something going on downtown." He jogged off to grab his suit and Caitlin walked to me.

She glanced in the direction Barry went. "Where are you two going?" I panicked. "Um, we're going to the movies." She nodded in approval, but I knew she wasn't convinced.


	4. Chapter 4

Barry and I made our way to the scene of the crime. It was another robbery. I ran over to the police chief. "What happened?" I asked. "We had four heavily armed robbers in a getaway car. They took off 5 minutes ago, with 1.2 million dollars." He glanced curiously at Barry.

"Who's that?"

"He's-"

"I'm the Flash."

I redirected the conversation. "Anyone hurt?" I looked over his shoulder and into the bank. "Yeah, an officer caught a bullet to the side. The medics are seeing to him now." I took to the sky and Barry ran on the streets below me. Suddenly, I saw the car racing down the streets. I landed on the hood the car and Barry ran by the side of it. "Supergirl's here!" One of the thugs yelled.

The thug in the passenger seat shattered the windshield and tried to shoot me. "Supergirl, look out!" Barry yelled. He fired off a few rounds before Barry grabbed the gun. I pulled the driver out of the seat and threw him to Barry. "Catch!" I jumped in the car and fought off the other thugs while I tried to stop the car. One of the thugs behind me grabbed my hair and pulled back.

I turned around and punched the thug that was holding my hair. I lost control of the car and we slammed into a wall. My ears rung for a second and I shook my head to clear it. I heard someone calling me. "Supergirl! Are you okay?" I groaned and pushed the door out of my way. The metal protested before falling to the ground. Barry grabbed my arm. "Are you okay?" I waved him off. "Yeah, I'm good." I refocused myself on the thugs in the car. All of them were unconscious.

The cops were with us in minutes and arrested the 4 men. Barry and I found a rooftop and waited for the next emergency. "How did you take the force like that?" He inquired. "I'm an alien. I heal really quickly." He nodded in understanding. "Me too." He shook his head. "I mean I'm not an alien. I mean you already know that." He tried to recover. I laughed. "Don't worry Scarlet Speedster, I won't make fun of you." He sighed in relief.

"Good. By the way do you have a driver's license?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I think it's time for you to give it up. You totaled that car."

I punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey! That wasn't my fault. And I said I wouldn't make fun of you!" He laughed. "I made no such promises Girl of Steel." I rolled my eyes. "There is no winning with you is there?" He shook his head while smiling. "Nope."

We stared at each other like happy idiots before we were interrupted by my phone. "Hello?" _Hey Kara are you okay?_ "Yeah James I'm fine. What's up?" _Winn and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. We saw the news and that crash looked bad._ "Yeah, it was. But I had the Flash to help me out." He paused. _Oh, sorry are you with him right now?_ "Yeah. We're patrolling the city." _Oh, then I_ _'_ _ll let you go._ "No James it's-" He hung up.

Barry looked at me. "Everything okay?" I shrugged and put away my phone. "I don't know. James is acting weird lately." I saw a police helicopter circling the city. "Well, time for round 2. Let's get to work." He ran down the building and raced off into the streets. I flew to the helicopter and knocked on the door.

The man looked shocked, but recovered quickly. He wrote on a notepad. _A kid was kidnapped from his home 15 minutes ago, 13-year-old Blake Green. Getaway car was a red mustang._ I nodded and flew back down to street level.

I found Barry. "Kidnapped kid! Look for a red mustang!" I shouted over the wind. We continued to search for an hour before I spotted a red mustang that was looking a bit suspicious. I flew closer and used my x-ray vision.

There was a kid tied up in the trunk. I grabbed the back of the car and used my feet as brakes. The car stopped and the kidnapper began to run off. Barry chased after the kidnapper as I opened the trunk. The kid looked at me with wide eyes.

I untied the ropes and removed the duct tape from his mouth. "Blake?" He simply nodded. "You're safe now. Don't worry." I could see him shaking. I looked over the car and saw Barry carrying the unconscious kidnapper.

The cops showed up and took away the kidnapper. Another police car showed up and Blake's parents came running out. They thanked both Barry and I after being reunited with their son. Barry and I went back to the apartment after the city seemed to quiet down. I grabbed him under the arms and flew him into my apartment. "Thanks Barry. It was nice having help again." Barry smiled at me.

"Man, I think you're busier than I am."

I laughed. "You think tonight was crazy? A few nights ago, I had triple the amount of activity." He went wide eyed for a second. "Really? Respect, Kara." I smiled. There was a knock on the door and we both looked down to our suits. I looked through my door and saw that it was Joe. "It's Joe!" Barry relaxed but I ran into my room to change. I heard my door open and they started to talked. I remerged in my regular clothes. Joe was looking at me as I walked back out.

I stopped in my tracks. "What?" I asked. "There is no fooling me Kara. I know that she's you." I shook my head. "No I don't know-" Barry cut me off. "Kara, he already pieced it together. Don't worry, you can trust him with it. I can." He gestured down to his own suit. I closed my eyes for a second and sighed. "Yeah, I'm her." Joe smiled softly. "Don't worry Kara." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "How did you figure it out? When?"

He hesitated. "Well, I'm not the only one who figured it out." My heart started to race. " _What_?" He held a hand up. "It's okay Kara. They all know about Barry and the Flash. And having them all together in one place boosts their intelligence. After Barry and you left, it was easy for them to piece it together." I swallowed thickly. Barry walked closer to me. "Kara, we can go talk to them if it makes you feel better." I nodded and we made our way to their apartment.

I nervously stood in front of them. Cisco was the first to break the awkward tension. "Kara, this is so cool!" He walked over and hugged me. I hugged him back oddly. I saw Iris and Caitlin smile as he hugged me. Cisco asked me a few questions as well as Caitlin.

After a while it was only me and Iris left. Everyone else either went to get food or visit the city. "It must be pretty cool to be a super hero huh?" She asked. "Yeah, it's a lot of work. And sometimes gets in the way of what other people call a 'normal' life." She laughed. "Yeah, I know what that's like. Barry was reluctant to tell me who he was, even though he contacted me as the Flash many times before."

"Why?"

"He wanted to protect me from threats."

"Oh, yeah. There are some people in my life that don't know either. It kind of hurt some relationships of mine."

Adam's face flashed in my head briefly. She shrugged. "It is understandable why both of you want to protect your loved ones, but sometimes it's better to know. I was hurt that he didn't tell me, but after a while I got over it." I looked down sadly. "Yeah, I kind of burnt a bridge with a guy I liked over it. He was great, but I couldn't subject him to that side of my life."

She glanced down. "Yeah Barry thought the same way. I used to have a crush on him. Then he had the accident that turned him into the Flash and I thought that I would lose him. He was in a coma for months. Another guy came along and we started to date. Then Barry came back with his powers and he started to drift away from me. Then I was dumped and I realized the opportunity I lost." She turned somber for a second before smiling. "But I'm happy, I just want Barry to be happy too."

She paused. "You make him happy." My head shot up. "W-what?" I stuttered and blushed. Iris laughed. "Oh, come on. I see the way you two look at each other. This is the first time I've seen him this happy since the accident. And I can tell you're happy with him too." I nervously wrung my hands. "I don't know what you're talking about." I denied and she shrugged. "You said that it was hard for you to show your other side to a guy, but Barry already knows."

"I don't know. I mean we enjoy each other's company-"

"And he loves her, Supergirl, and he loves you, Kara. Trust me. He's lived with me since he was 14. I think I know him pretty well."

I sighed and Barry walked back into the room. "What are you two talking about?" Iris quickly covered for me. "Oh, uh Kara's work." He sat down beside me. "Oh really? What about?" He asked. "I just got promoted."

"That's great, Kara."

"Yeah, it's a great change. I mean I love working directly under her, but it gets tiring."

"Yeah, those few days I was here was exhausting enough."

"That was her on a good week."

"Oh God, really? I don't know how you do it Kara."

Iris smiled at both of us before standing up. "I'm going to see what Caitlin is up to. See you later, and Kara, good luck. I know it will work out." Barry looked at me in confusion. "What is she talking about?" I smirked. "That's for me to know and you to find out." He groaned pathetically. "Aww come on Kara. You can't leave me in the dark!" I stood up and walked to the door. "I'll see you later Barry. And thank you so much with your help around the city. It really made a huge difference."

The next few days went by and Barry and I fell into a routine. As we fought side by side, we became closer to each other, but no farther than best friends. I noticed that James became distant or would shut down if Barry was around. But if he wasn't there, James was fine. Winn, James, Alex, and myself tried to do more research on Shade, but he apparently didn't exist on this Earth. It irritated Barry and his friends, but he understood that we were trying our hardest.

I woke up early one morning and could not go back to sleep. I glanced at my clock and saw that it read 4:43 am. I groaned and turned on the tv. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I saw Kal fighting off some crazy looking monster, and he wasn't fairing too well. I grabbed my phone and called Alex. _Hello?_ "Alex!" _Kara? Do you know what time it is? Why are you up this early?_ "Turn on the news, right now!"

I waited a few seconds. _Oh, my god._ "I'm going to help him." _What? Kara, you can_ _'_ _t!_ "I have to! Do you see what that monster is doing to my cousin? He saved me, now it's time to return the favor." I grimaced as Kal was punched by the monster and crashed in Metropolis' streets. _Wait Kara, I can get Alpha team to help us out-_ "I don't think that he can wait that long. I got to go Alex." _Wait no-_ I hung up my phone and changed quickly.

I knocked harshly on Barry's door. I waited a few minutes and no one answered it. I used my x-ray vision and saw that everyone was in a deep sleep. I jogged back to my apartment and left a note. Then I took off to the skies toward Metropolis.

I was 100 miles away from the city and I could see smoke and fire in the sky. Part of the city was already destroyed when I arrived. Finally, I located Kal and the monster. I rushed to his side. "What is that thing?" I yelled. "What are you doing here?" He shouted. "Helping you. What is that?" I repeated. "It's Doomsday." The beast swung its mighty fist and I barely dodged it. He punched the building behind me and it crumbled to the ground.

Suddenly, there was a flash of a bright light that I recognized as a laser. It struck Doomsday, but did him no harm. Kal went to attack Doomsday, but Doomsday slammed Kal to the ground. I assumed that he would get back up, but he didn't.

Doomsday roared in triumph and anger flowed through my veins. _Kal is dead. You failed him, you failed your parents. You failed the House of El._ I screamed and I flew to him. I punched him and Doomsday slammed into the side of a building. He pulled himself off the building and slammed his fist onto me. I crashed into the ground making a large crater.

I pulled myself out of the hole and shook off the asphalt. I glanced back at Kal and then to Doomsday. He seemed to grin at me. _You failed_ kept repeating in my head. I screamed out and continued to brutally attack Doomsday. Slowly, but surely, Doomsday began to fall, but not without landing a few good punches on me.

We approached a gasoline station and I slammed his body near the tanks. I froze his body to the ground with my breath and then used my lasers to ignite the gas. It all exploded and I was hit by the flames and heat. I crashed back into the city near Kal.

I looked back to Doomsday and saw that he wasn't getting up. My vision began to blur as I made my way to Kal. As I was a few feet away, I couldn't hold myself up anymore. I stumbled over to his form.

"Kal?" There was no response. Tears began to form in my eyes and I couldn't swallow.

" _Kal_. _Kal, please._ " I whispered. I put my head onto his chest and waited.

I couldn't hear anything but the heavy thumps of my own heart. I listened again and I heard a soft beat. "Kal!" I cried out in happiness. "Kara?" I heard him ask faintly. "He's gone; I took care of him." He smiled weakly. "I'm so proud of you, Kara." He grabbed my hand before passing out.

I placed my arms under his shoulders and knees and stood up. The world swayed around me, but I steadied myself. I grimaced as my body cried out in pain and exhaustion. I pulled him up into the sky and began to fly back to National city. In the flight, my body threatened to fall out of the sky, but I forced myself to keep going for Kal's sake.

I knew that the DEO could help him. I saw it in the distance. I landed in front of the entrance, but I couldn't go any further. Kal dropped from my arms and I fell to my knees. I saw two blurs of people rushing toward me. "KARA!" My eyes rolled back and I fell into the darkness.

 **Hey guys! This is my first story on Fanfiction and I'm super excited. I've been thinking about posting this for a while now. I've got most of this story written already (PS its a long one) so now I'm just working out the errors and deciding how I want to end it. I appreciate the reviews and I guess I'll see you guys in the next part. ~Raya Kor-El**


	5. Chapter 5

I opened my eyes sometime later and I saw that I was under the solar panels. I groaned, closed my eyes, and rolled over on the uncomfortable bed. "Kara?" I heard a voice ask softly. Someone grabbed my hand. It was Alex. "'Lex?" She squeezed my hand.

"Yeah, how are you feeling?"

"Exhausted."

"Nothing else?"

I shook my head. "Just really tired, and hungry." She smiled lightly. "Kal!" I sat up. Alex pushed me back down. "He's fine. He's resting, just like you."

I pulled myself off my bed. "Kara, wait you can't just walk off. You should be resting!" She called after me. I ran down the hall of the DEO until I found his room. I made my way in and sat down. Kal was still unconscious. "Shouldn't you be resting?" I turned to see J'onn standing in the door. I went to protest, but he held up his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'll tell Alex it's fine." J'onn said and walked off.

I grabbed Kal's hand and closed my eyes. I was so glad that he was alive. I sat there a while before he began to stir. "Ugh, Kara?" I smiled. "Hey Kal. How are you feeling?" He moved around slightly on the solar panel bed. "Uncomfortable, tired, and hungry." I laughed quietly. "You and me both."

He looked me over. "When did you wake up?" I shrugged. "I don't know. I was kind of too worried about you to see enjoy the luxuries of my own solar panel bed." He scooted over and pulled me up. It was kind of a small space, but I enjoyed being close to my cousin. The Danvers always comforted me and gave me a family, but Kal was my blood. There was another sense of comfort only he could offer. "Thank you, Kara. I don't think that I would have gotten out of that fight alive." My heart sank for a second. "Of course, Kal. You've saved me, so I thought I could return the favor." He chuckled. "No, but I really mean it Kara. Thanks."

I squeezed his hand. "Of course, Kal, we're family." There was a silence between us. "How did you do it? How did you defeat him?" I started to explain what I did, but Kal stopped me. "No, I mean, where did you get all that power and strength? I saw it on the tv. I would come to for a few minutes and I would see the fight there. Even I don't think I'm that strong." I hesitated. "Kara?"

"I thought I failed."

"Huh?"

"I thought that you died. I thought that I failed you. I thought that I failed my parents. I thought that I failed the House of El. I was convinced that my life up to that moment was a failure. I was supposed to protect you when you were sent to Earth, but I couldn't even manage that. Something just snapped and then Doomsday went down. I don't know exactly how it worked, but it did." Tears threatened to fall and I bit my lip.

Kal hugged me tightly. "You could never fail me, your parents, and definitely not the House of El. Kara, what you are doing now brings respect and honor to our house. That's all our family wanted. Don't live in the past and what your parents said. Live for now and with the people around you. They care about you, a lot, and you care for them. They are your family now. You protect them and they protect you."

Tears rushed down my cheeks. "Thanks, Kal. I needed that." He released me from his hug. "Of course, Kara. I'll always be here for you." I grinned. "And I will always be there for you." I glanced back to the door and saw Alex standing there. She didn't seem too mad at me yet. I moved off Kal's solar bed. "Feel better Kal." He nodded. "You too Kara. And thank you again." I walked slowly back to the door.

Alex started to walk back to my room and I followed her. "How could you be that reckless?" She asked hotly. I clenched my fist and sighed. "Alex, I know that Eliza told you to protect me, but I was told to protect Kal long before we met. I was supposed to the responsible one. I was the one to be put in the line of danger before anyone else. Protect Kal from all forms of danger. And he's my only family left. I can't let him slip through my fingers too. I had a job to do."

Alex stopped walking. "I know that he is your family, but we are too. James, Winn, my mom, me; we're your family too. And I know that if we would have lost you, then how would we all feel? How would I feel?" I felt ashamed and stared down at my feet. She grabbed my hand. "You're my little sister, blood related or not. I love you and care for you no matter what. You just can't go running off into fights without backup. You're priceless to us all."

She paused. "If we would have lost you to that monster, I- I don't know what I would have done. I don't know what any of us would have done. We love you Kara." I saw a stray tear run down her cheek and I hugged her.

I pulled back to from her. "I'm sorry Alex." She rubbed my arm soothingly. "It's okay. And by the way, Dr. Hamilton told me that you are clear to leave." I glanced back down the hall to Kal's room.

"And Kal?"

"He needs to rest here for a few more days."

"What if he stays with me until he's better?"

"I don't know-"

"He's my cousin. If anything, I would know what's going on with him."

Alex sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Fine." I quickly grabbed my things and went back into Kal's room. We both took the sky and flew back to my apartment. He seemed really exhausted when we got back. "I'll take the couch then." I pushed him to my bed. "Are you crazy? I'll take the couch. You need to rest. My bed's a lot more comfortable than the couch and the solar beds." He scowled at me playfully and walked away. I sat down on the couch and enjoyed the sun that was shining through one of the windows.

There was a harsh knock on my door. I walked over tiredly and opened it. Someone hugged me tightly as I opened the door. The person pulled away. "Winn?" He glanced over my form. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I shook my head. "No, wait what? How do you know?"

Winn pulled me over to my tv and he turned on the news. Every channel he flipped through showed me helping Kal and taking down Doomsday. "Alex called James and I and told us that you collapsed just outside the DEO. I tried calling her after that, but she never returned any of our calls." I could tell that he was scared.

Winn changed the subject. "Cat went crazy about the story.

It was her against the Daily Planet who were trying to publish the story first." I froze. "Oh no, Miss Grant was probably so upset that I didn't show up." Winn shook his head. "James and I covered for you." I hugged him. "Thank you, Winn." He smiled. "Of course, Kara."

I glanced back to my bedroom and I heard a thud. "Who's back there?" I hesitated. "My cousin." Winn paled. "S-Superman is in your apartment? No way." I rolled my eyes. "He's just recovering. We both took a beating from Doomsday. Kal took more of it than me though. Apparently, Doomsday had a personal vendetta against the House of El, but mostly with Kal. I just stepped in to help."

There was another rapid knock on the door. Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin looked extremely worried. "Kara you're okay!" Barry stated excitedly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just took on a little more competition than usual." He frowned as the rest of his family walked in. "Why didn't you ask me for help?" It was my turn to frown. "I did, but no one answered. And I had to leave to help my cousin." The room exploded with conversations.

"Superman is your cousin?"

"I can't believe that you took down that monster!"

"I thought I heard someone, but then I thought I was dreaming it. I'm so sorry Kara."

I dismissed it. "It's all right." I glanced over Barry's shoulder and saw that Cisco looked like he was going to faint. "What's wrong with Cisco?" Everyone's heads snapped over to him. "Cisco?" Caitlin asked. "Something is different." He answered. "Like what?"

He shook his head to clear it. "He shouldn't still be here. It isn't possible." I was confused along with Winn. "Huh?" Winn asked. "What's going on with Cisco?" I asked Barry. "Oh, uh, well. The thing is that Cisco can vibe off other people's energies. Sometimes if it is strong enough, he can see other outcomes that could have happened. Is there anyone else in your apartment?"

I suddenly understood and I nodded. "Yeah, my cousin. He's resting." Realization crossed the room as Cisco whispered, "Superman should've died in that fight." My stomach dropped. Winn's face paled. There were footsteps and Kal appeared in the room. "I know. I almost did." His eyes turned to me. "But you saved me Kara. You completed your job. You protected me." I started to tremble. "Kara?" I almost lost Kal. My only family left. Winn grabbed my arm and rubbed it soothingly.

I took a deep breath and glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at me with eyes full of concern and worry. "I'm okay." I announced. They all still looked concerned for me. "I'm fine. I just don't think I could've coped with losing any more family." Kal opened the window and some people protested, but I understood. "My city is a mess and I am missing. They will need me to help rebuild and restore order." Kal turned back to me and hugged me. "Thank you, Kara." He flew through the window.

I glanced around the room and noticed that James was missing. I was curious, but I knew that his universe didn't revolve around me or Supergirl. After a while of talking to everyone, Barry sat down next to me. He held my hand gently and stared into my eyes. "Kara, I really sorry about not being there for you."

I smiled weakly. "It's okay Barry. Sometimes things don't work out the way that we want to. And sometimes we just must make it work. It turned out fine." He shook his head. "But it could have gone wrong. Your cousin could've died. You could've- you could've died, Kara. I don't know how I could have lived the rest of my life with that on my chest."

I punched him playfully. "Barry, it didn't happen that way. I'm fine, Kal is fine. Don't worry about the past." He took a deep breath. "Kara, you fighting with Doomsday made me think and-" There was a harsh knock on the door. We were the closest so I stood to answer it. I was quickly tackled by a blur. "Kara! I saw the news! I can't believe that you took down Doomsday." James pulled away. "Are you okay?" I nodded, still in shock of James acting so out of his personality.

He looked over my shoulder and saw everyone. "Where's Clark?" We walked back into my apartment. "He left. He was recovering for a while, but then he said he needed to help Metropolis start to rebuild." James shook his head. "Of course, he is. I guess stubbornness runs in the family?" I laughed. "I'm not stubborn."

"What? Are you kidding? You're the queen of stubbornness."

"I thought Ms. Grant was."

"She's a close second."

We all laughed. The door opened and Alex walked in. She didn't seem to happy. "Kara, shouldn't you be resting?" She asked with a hand on her hip. "Alex, I'm fine. I was just assuring everyone I was okay." Winn, Cisco, and Caitlin left while James and Barry stayed by my side. "You need to be resting. When you collapsed outside the DEO, your vitals were low. Low even in human standards."

"Alex, I'm fine now."

"No Kara, you need to be resting. Your body took on a lot of power and quite a bit of beatings. You should still be recharging at the DEO."

I shook my head. "No, there enough sunlight here. Even though the panels do the trick, actual sun feels better." She pursed her lips. "Kara, if something happens and Hamilton or I aren't here-" Barry stepped forward and cut her off. "Alex, you don't need to worry. I'll be here with her." James placed his hand on my shoulder. "We both will be here with her, just in case." I glanced at both men in annoyance. I could take care of myself. "I'm not a child. I don't need baby-sitting. You know, technically, I'm older than all of you."

"Wait really?" Barry asked.

"Being stuck in the Phantom Zone doesn't count." Alex stated.

"Huh?"

James chuckled and I rolled my eyes. "When I was sent to Earth, I was caught in a place called the Phantom Zone. I was thirteen when Krypton exploded. So technically, I _am_ older." Alex shook her head. "Time doesn't pass in the Phantom Zone." She pointed out. I stuck my tongue out at her. "That is so cool!" Barry exclaimed. Alex narrowed her eyes at both men. "You two better watch her. If anything happens-" Barry held up his hands in defense. "Don't worry Alex, we have it under control." James nodded. "Yeah, Alex. But if anything is wrong, you'll be the first to know. You can trust us."

Alex glanced back at me before walking back out the door. I looked to both Barry and James. Suddenly, I felt extremely tired and I yawned. "I think Alex may have had a good point about resting. I'm going to sleep." I said and started to walk off to my bed. I turned around quickly. "If either of you ever tell her what I just said, I will melt your faces." I threatened before smiling at them. I was asleep not even 5 minutes later.

 _I wake up and notice something I wrong. Once again, I was not in my room on Earth. I recognize this as my room on Krypton. I glance down and notice that I_ _'_ _m wearing my mother_ _'_ _s dress. Dread settles in the pit of my stomach and I think back to the incident with the Black Mercy._

 _I stand up from my bed and start to explore._ _"_ _Hello?_ _"_ _I call out, but there is no answer. I wonder around, but I don_ _'_ _t see anyone. Finally, as I make my way back to my room, I see some people standing in the hallway. They began to walk away and I follow them. They stop and I can see their silhouettes._ _"_ _Mother_ _? Father?_ _"_ _They both turn around, but something is wrong. I can_ _'_ _t see their faces. I can_ _'_ _t sense their heartwarming presence. I back away from them and run down to ground level._

 _I glance around as my heart begins to beat even faster. Everything seems so foreign now. The narrow streets flow like streams and mix into rivers. Before, I know that they seemed to make sense. I knew exactly where I was on Krypton. But now, now I feel as lost as I did on my first day on earth. All the smells and sounds were strange to me. It was disorientating and made me sick._

 _The ground began to rumble. I was flashed over to the launch bay. I looked over my shoulder and saw my pod. My heart dropped as I realized what was happening. I looked over to my mother. I heard her voice but it was muffled. I knew exactly what she was saying. She wrapped her arms around me and whispered in my ear._ _"_ _I love you Kara._ _"_ _Tears ran down my face as I tried to control myself._ _"_ _NO!_ _"_ _I shouted as I was shot into space._

I woke up crying silently. I glanced over at my clock. It read 12:09 am. I shuddered as my dream lingered on my mind. The crisp images of Krypton began to slip from my mind. The vivid and fresh scents and sounds disappeared from my mind. I couldn't hold onto them for more than a second before they vanished from my mind completely.

I heard footsteps quietly make their way toward me. A figure walked over to the side of my bed. "Kara, are you okay?" Barry asked. He sat down by me. I didn't answer, but I wrapped my arms around myself. "Kara?" He asked softly. Suddenly, I launched myself into his arms. He rubbed little circles on my back. "What happened?"

"I had a terrible nightmare."

"What about?"

"Well, it wasn't as much as a nightmare as a flashback."

"Want to talk about it?"

I pulled away from his arms and shook my head. "Sometimes it's better to get somethings off your chest than to bottle them up." I stared into his blue eyes.

He sighed and then crossed his legs Indian style on my bed. "My mother was killed when I was younger. My father was arrested because everyone believed that he did it. But I know otherwise."

He tightened his fist. "That night, I came downstairs and saw some light coming from my living room. I opened the door and saw that she was surrounded by this yellow light. It was circling all around her. As I stared into it, I realized that it was a man in yellow."

He paused. "A man in yellow who has the same powers as I have now. And finally, I found him again on my Earth. I've been trying to find out who it was. For some reason, he was faster and more skilled than I was. Recently, I found out who it was and honestly, I wanted to kill him. Why not? He killed my mother. But I found out that she was just a consolation prize. He was actually after me." I noticed tears running down his face. "I'm the reason why my father is in jail and why my mother is dead. And I can't do anything about it." I pulled him back into a hug as he cried for a few minutes.

He pulled away and sniffled. "Thanks Kara. I'll let you get back to sleep-" He stood up and began to leave. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down gently. I took a deep breath. "When I was 13, my planet was dying. My parents thought it was a good idea to send me to Earth with my cousin, Kal, or as you know, Superman. I was stuck in the Phantom Zone for many years before landing here. I discovered that Kal grew up without me and I failed the mission that my parents assigned to me."

I hesitated briefly. "And recently, I found out that my aunt was sentenced to prison by my mother. My mother lied to me about everything. She used me to draw my aunt out. My aunt was working on a way to save my planet despite her ideas being- unorthodox."

"Then she tried to do the same here. Trying to rescue humankind's dying planet. It almost caused all the humans on Earth to die. Luckily, I destroyed her base and saved the planet. But before her plan was completed, she was killed, leaving only me and Kal left of our bloodline." I looked down to my hands. "And for a while, I thought that I could cope with all the events that have happened. And I have, but sometimes, I dream about the day Krypton exploded. The day where everyone I loved died, and I just can't do it."

I clenched my fists and took another breath. "I haven't dreamed about my family or Krypton in a while." He placed a hand on my own. "People say that the pain dulls with time Kara."

"But how can things be better when the reason why the pain isn't bad anymore because I've forgotten? Over time, my memories of them and their presence have escaped my mind. I no longer see their faces in strangers. I'm afraid that I will forget them completely." I whispered. He rubbed my hand. "You will never forget them because they are a part of you."

"They are in your heart. At times, I believe that I'm forgetting how my mother used to tuck me in at night, or how my father would play catch with me outside."

He smiled softly. "But then I realize, they are always there with me. And it's better now because even if they aren't there with me at the time, I have my other family to be there and support me. I know that Alex, James, Winn, and everyone else in your life are behind you 100%. Like Joe, Cisco, Iris, and Caitlin are for me."

I smiled at Barry and gave him another hug. "Thank you, Barry, I feel a lot better now." I yawned again. "I think it's time for you to get back to sleep. If your sister sees you tired tomorrow, she'll most likely kill me." He stood up and started to walk away. "Barry?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't tell anyone about this."

"Of course,"

"Thank you, Barry."

He smiled at me before walking out. "Goodnight Kara."

I smiled to myself and let go of breath I didn't know I was still holding on to. I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes. Finally, exhaustion grabbed me again and I pulled the blanket back over my torso and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few weeks, Barry and I got closer. Ever since that night of confessions about our past, we were by each other's side.

I started to have strong feelings for him, but I knew that it was best to keep them hidden. After everything was done, he would return to his Earth and I wouldn't see him again. It bothered me so much though because these feelings were stronger than those I felt for Adam.

He will always have a place in my heart, but I knew that Barry could relate more to me. And that he knew about both sides of me. I told Alex a few times about how I felt about Barry. I made her promise not to say anything to Barry or the others.

To my enjoyment, we would help each other out with fighting crime. And when we weren't, we were either trying to find out more about Shade or Simon Tycho, who had been surprisingly quiet for a while. It worried me, but Barry reassured that he would be there to help.

Barry, Joe, Iris, Cisco, and Caitlin were fitting in to my life now. Iris got a job at CatCo as an intern reporter, Joe and Barry joined NCPD, Cisco worked at the DEO, and Caitlin found a job at Lord Technologies. I warned her about Maxwell Lord and she understood without a second of doubt.

Caitlin and I became very close friends. And for some reason, Alex and Iris made great friends too. Barry stated that they hit it off so well was because they were both the overly cautious sibling. One relationship I wasn't surprised that formed was Joe and J'onn. They both fit the overprotective dad stereotype. All of Barry's family were known at the DEO and went there every so often to see if there was any more progress about Shade.

* * *

I woke up and was greeted by the smell of coffee. I pulled myself out of my bed tiredly and went to the kitchen. I saw both Barry and James talking to each other as they drank.

"Good morning Kara." James was the first to notice my presence. "What ever happened to this being _my_ apartment? Is privacy not a thing anymore?" I joked tiredly. "And besides, it isn't good unless there is a promise of breakfast. Most favorable would be crullers." I mumbled.

Barry smiled before flashing away. He appeared seconds later with a box of donuts. "You. Are. Amazing!" I opened the box and grabbed a donut. James handed me a mug of coffee and I shuffled back to my room. I was enjoying my breakfast in bed when James interrupted my happiness. "Kara, don't forget that Miss Grant has a board meeting today." I groaned and glanced at the clock.

I realized that I only had 20 minutes until I had to be there. "Why didn't you tell me right away James?" I shouted as I finished my donut and coffee. "I didn't want to ruin your morning." He answered back. "You already did!" I ran over to my clothes and quickly pulled on a white blouse and dark green pants over my Supergirl suit. I threw on my shoes and quickly brushed my hair and teeth. I run out to where James was waiting. "Barry had to go to work too." James answered my unasked question.

About 15 minutes later, James and I arrived at CatCo. On the way to my office, I stopped by and talked with Winn. I then walked up to Miss Grant's office. "Ah, Kiera. Right on time." I saw Carter sitting on the couch. "Hey Carter." I greeted. He smiled up at me. "Hey Kara." I turned back to Miss Grant. She glanced over my shoulder. "Expecting someone else, Miss Grant?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, but it appears that she is late." She stated disapprovingly. "Who-" I begin to ask, but I see Iris jogging into her office. "You're late, Irene." Miss Grant snapped. "It's Iris." She corrected and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, but Miss Grant ignored it. Iris looked to me with a confused face and I shrugged. Miss Grant walked back to her seat and sat down. She ruffled through some papers, probably sightings of Barry and me.

"Now, it seems like the Blur is staying in National City permanently. I want to know everything about him. I want to know where is he from. How old he is. Is he dating anyone." She paused and smirked. "Supergirl perhaps." I felt my face lose all color and Iris laughed. "Is something funny, Irene?" Iris suddenly looked scared and she didn't answer. "Kiera, I expect you to lead this project." She glanced back to Iris. "She is your boss. You do exactly what she says. Chop chop." She ordered Iris.

Iris and I started to walk out of her office. "Kiera, wait." Iris' eyes widened as I walked back to her desk. "Yes, Miss Grant?" Miss Grant looked up over her glasses. "I promoted you for a good reason. Make this your best project."

"But- this is my first story?"

"Exactly, Kiera. _Astound me_."

She raised her hand and gave a dismissing wave, as she always did. I walked back out and Iris was immediately at my side. "How do you face her?" I shrugged. "You get used to it. I was working with her for a couple years as her assistant. I guess I'm immune to her- personality." Iris shook her head. "I don't think I can last long here." I smiled. "You will, don't worry. I thought the same thing when I had the interview with her."

Iris sighed. "Why can't she get our names right?" I shrugged again. "I'm not sure. Just the way Miss Grant is. You'll get used to that too. But it's a good thing, most people here don't have a name according to her. Winn only just got his nickname a few months ago. For a while he was called a hobbit. So, I guess having a nickname in her head means that she actually wants you to be here."

Iris and I made it back to my office. "No window?" I shook my head. "I just got promoted recently, so if I do well, I'll hopefully get a window." She smiled and sat down. "So, what are we going to do about the 'Blur' and the story Miss Grant wants?"

"We'll give it to her."

"How? Barry's not one for interviews."

"Yeah, but I can always ask him. None of you are in any of the city's systems because you're from a different dimension. So, if I can get a few facts about Barry without exposing him, we'll be fine."

"Are you sure that it will work."

"Yeah, that's how James did it when she asked for Supergirl. But then I just ended up giving her a full interview, which went wrong. It ended up exposing that Superman was my cousin. The media blew up after I gave the interview. It wasn't fun."

Iris and I were working in my office when Winn and James rushed in. "Kara, you need to see this." Winn pushed me away from my computer and pulled up a news feed. There was an army of men hold up in an abandoned warehouse. The reporter was announcing that there were people being held hostage by the docks.

My heart froze. Alex told me that she and J'onn would be down there investigating some strange activity. Winn, Iris, James, and myself ran to a balcony. It was soaking wet due to the rain. I ripped off my glasses and used my x-ray vision. I homed in on the warehouse and I could see Alex, J'onn, some DEO agents surrounded by the men, unconscious and strapped with bombs.

I grabbed my phone and called Barry. _Kara?_ "Did you see the news?" _Yeah, I_ _'_ _m heading down there right now. Don_ _'_ _t worry. I got it handled._ "Barry, please be careful. Alex and J'onn are hostage there. I don't know what happened. I'll try to get down there as soon as I can." _Okay. See you soon, be safe._ "You too Speedster."

I turned back them. "Barry is headed down there right now. I should go and-" Gunshots interrupted me. Everyone dropped to the ground or made a mad dash to any exits. I looked through the half wall we were hiding behind. There were 5 men, all dressed like those at the docks.

They all had large guns and were searching the entire floor. They all looked extremely nervous. "Stay quiet and try to make your way to the exit. I have to get Miss Grant and Carter out of here." I whispered. Winn shook his head. "No, Kara, we don't know what they can do." I pushed him slightly in the direction to the door. "Go, I can handle this." They slowly went to the exit. "Come out come out, where ever you are, Supergirl. We all know that you are here." A voice stated. I pulled off my blouse and pants to reveal my suit.

I stood up and located the men. In the center of the room was a tall man. He had bright blond hair and blue eyes. "Simon Tycho." I growled. He smiled at me. "Ah, Supergirl! Nice to finally meet you." He held out his hand, but I didn't shake it. He frowned. "How rude. It seems that your friends don't want to meet me either." He snapped his fingers and 3 more men came out carrying Winn, James, and Iris. "Let them go Tycho. This fight is between you and me."

Simon laughed. "That's what you think. I have a friend in a high position that is just calling for that head of yours, as well as the Flash's." My eyes widened. "Oh, so you know exactly who I'm talking about. Good." He snapped his fingers again. His men corralled James, Iris, Winn, Miss Grant, and Carter in her office. He pulled out bombs from his bag.

He threw them over to his henchmen. They attached the bombs to everyone. Simon pulled out a controller that I could only guess as a dead man's switch. He pressed his thumb down on it and smiled. "Let's play, Supergirl." Simon then took off down into the stairwell with 4 men. The other 4 men had their guns raised to the hostages. I hesitated for a second before thinking that I should stop Tycho first.

I raced down the stairwell and into a floor that was dark because there was construction. I was ambushed by all the men, including Tycho. I had to be careful because if I made a bad move, then the bombs would go off. The 3 men tackled me and I fell to the ground.

They kicked and punched every inch of my body. At one point, my head slammed into the ground and I saw black spots in my vision. After a while of hand to hand combat, all Tycho's henchmen were laying on the ground, unconscious. Simon's face was bloody and he smiled at me. "I had fun, Supergirl." He said before releasing the button. "No!" I raced forward and knocked him out.

I expected the bomb to go off and the building to rumble, but nothing happened. I looked up through the floors and saw that everyone was still tied up, but all the henchmen were on the floor. I realized that the button wasn't for any bombs, it was to shut down the henchmen.

I scanned the docks and found that Barry was releasing J'onn, Alex, and the other DEO agents. I quickly rushed upstairs and changed back into my regular clothes.

I rushed back into Miss Grant's office. "Kiera! How did you evade the men? Where's Supergirl?" I started to untie everyone and was about to answer, but I felt lightheaded. I lowered my hands and took in a shaky breath. "Kara!" Winn exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"You're bleeding!"

I glanced down and saw a crimson blush spreading on my white shirt. Suddenly there was a dull throbbing in my side, and the pain started to grow. I started to panic as the blood continued to seep down. The pain in my side began to spread to my whole body and I collapsed to my knees. I began to tremble and shake and I realized what had happened. _I was stabbed_.

I watched as the dark red blood made its way out of my body. It oozed between the space between my fingers as I covered the wound with a shaky hand. My vision blurred as my white shirt turned red. All I saw was the scarlet blood that was once inside of me. Blackness filled the edges of my vision. I could only hear my own heartbeats even though I knew that everyone was trying to speak to me. My breaths came in ragged, shallow gasps.

I don't know how, but I think that I was laid down on the ground. I could feel my blood flowing around me. Someone pushed down on my wound and I cried out in pain. The blade must've snapped off and was still inside me.

I gagged and tasted the blood in my mouth. More pressure was placed on my wound and I cried out. I coughed and blood spurted from my mouth. I gasped again, trying to get oxygen to my body. Somehow, the pain began to lessen until it didn't hurt anymore.

 **Hey guys! I just wanted to say thank you again for the reviews and for following my story. It really means a lot, especially since I've sunk a lot of time into this story. I was worried that people would hate it, but you all inspire me to keep on posting. So, yeah, thanks again and I'll see you in the next chapter. ~Raya Kor-El**


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up and felt terrible. My arms were heavy, my chest hurt, my head pounded, and I felt sick. I looked around and realized that I was in the DEO. I stood up and started to walk around. For some reason, people were being extremely irritating. They would just brush by me. Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt someone?

As I walked around, I found Alex in her lab. She was hunched over and silent. "Alex, are you okay?" She didn't respond to me. "Alex? Alex! Did I do something to piss you off?" I placed my hand on her shoulder and she didn't even respond. I leaned over and I saw that she was crying. "Alex? What happened?" The door opened and J'onn walked through the door. Alex turned around immediately. "They give you anything?"

J'onn shook his head. "Tycho and his men aren't speaking." Alex stood up abruptly. "What's going on?" I questioned. She stomped over to the door, but J'onn stopped her. "Violence won't solve anything. Beating them up won't do anything."

What was happening? "Will Hamilton let me go and-" J'onn crossed his arms. "I'm not sure that's wise." Alex balled up her fists. "If you think that you'll stand in my way, you're fucking wrong." She seethed. "Alex!" I shouted at her. Alex walked right through the door and down the hall. I glanced over at J'onn. It seemed like he saw me, but also like I wasn't there.

I rushed after Alex. "Alex! Wait!" We made our way back to the isolation room. What I saw laying there shocked me. It was, well, me.

I was as pale as the sheets I was laying on. The blue and red from my suit was such a stark contrast from my skin. I noticed that the suit was ripped to just under the house crest. I saw bandages wrapped around my stomach. I could see blood seeping through.

My lips were so blue they looked almost gray. There were solar panels all around me.

There were a few lines connecting me to the many machines around me. There was a tube shoved down my throat and another in my nose.

I could see the dried blood on my face and neck, from when I started to choke. My hair was stained red, probably when my head was slammed to the floor. There were stains as well on the skin on my arms. Bruises dotted my skin, some looking almost black from the excessive internal bleeding.

I started at Alex for a second, then back at myself. I couldn't believe this. What was happening? I watched as Alex grabbed my hand and held it tight.

I expected myself to feel her warm hand, but I only felt numb and cold. I didn't even feel myself breathing. My throat felt dry and I began to shake. I watched as the EKG monitored my heart and I listened to the slow animated beats. I glanced over at all my vitals, and I noticed that I was barely holding on. I tried to take in a breath, but air felt stuck in my lungs. "Just breathe, Little One." I heard a voice whisper.

I turned around and I thought I saw my mom for a second. But instead it was Astra. I tried to breathe, but I felt like my trachea was closed. "It's just your imagination. You're in shock. Breathe. In and out. In and out."

Slowly, I regained my composure. "Aunt Astra? I don't get it. What happened? Why am I like this? Why are you here?"

She smiled sadly and tucked a hair behind my ear before changing it into a frown. "You were stabbed, Kara. Tycho's men had you preoccupied and he stabbed you as you were distracted." I shook my head. "I don't get it. How did he stab me?" She placed a hand on my shoulder. "On Krypton, we made many enemies. Some of them were even more advanced than we were. The Dherons were a race that were at war with us. They found a way to fuse what you call Kryptonite and the metal together. My guess is that Tycho got his hands on some Dheronian metal, most likely from a meteor."

I glanced down to Alex's silent form and my unmoving body. "Why am I here?" Astra glanced down at my body. "When our bodies encounter anything so painful and traumatic, we find ways to escape. You lost quite a bit of blood, and the kryptonite circling through your veins isn't allowing you to heal. This is your way of slowly acclimating yourself to the pain." She walked to my other side. "And I am here as a figment of your subconscious to guide and help you back there."

I sat down my Alex's side. "So, no one can hear or see me?" Astra shook her head. "This body you are now is also just a figment to help your mind accept what has happened. You are still laying in that bed, but your mind is wandering."

I watched Alex as she held onto my hand and looked onto my face with despair in her eyes. "Kara, please be okay. Please wake up. I know you're in a lot of pain. And if I could, I would wish it all away. I would do anything to get you out of this situation."

She held my one hand in both of hers as she leaned forward. "I would trade places with you in an instant. I hate that this happened to you, but you need to be strong, please. I believe in you and I'll be damned if this is what slows you down."

She lowered her head and I expected her to cry. But it was more than crying, it was the kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained of hope. I grimaced and I wanted to cry, but exhaustion wouldn't let me. Everything was looked gray and I was feeling faint. Alex's head shot up and she stood. The chair went clattering to the floor. "Kara! Stay with me!" She cried out. She jammed the button over my head.

Dr. Hamilton and a few others came running in. "What is happening?" Alex questioned. Dr. Hamilton glanced at all the monitors and her eyes went wide. "Where is James Olsen?" Alex was confused. "What? Why do you need Olsen?" Dr. Hamilton ran from the room and Alex and I chased after her. Sitting in lab was James, Winn, Iris, Barry, Joe, Caitlin, Cisco, and somehow, Miss Grant.

They all looked up to Dr. Hamilton with extreme worry. "Call Superman here now!" She shouted. James opened his watch and pressed the hidden button. "Why do you need Superman?" Miss Grant asked. "He's the only one that I can think of who can give Supergirl a blood transfusion." The atmosphere in the room turned gloomy. "It's that bad?" Winn asked in a small voice.

I noticed that he wasn't wearing his clothes from work. He was now dressed in DEO clothes that looked a bit big on his frame.

I saw that his, and everyone's eyes were tinted red, they were crying. Of course, though, Miss Grant was trying to look like the strongest one. But instead she looked like one of the worst. A flash of blue and red came into the room. "What's happened?" Kal asked. No one spoke for a second, seeming like no one wanted to break the news to my cousin.

Dr. Hamilton was the one to speak up. "Superman, your cousin was seriously hurt while fighting off Simon Tycho. She isn't doing well at all; she was stabbed. I believe that you are the only one to give her blood. If not-" She didn't finish her sentence, but Kal got the idea. His posture changed immediately. "Let's go." They ran off and I couldn't stand. Everything was brighter and I could feel my head pounding like a drum.

"Stay strong Little One. You can get through this. Fight, your loved ones are waiting for you." That was the last thing I heard and I fell back into the darkness.

I woke up some time later and felt a bit better. Even though I felt nothing close to what I was, I still was extremely weak. I looked over my body and to my side and saw a blood bag connected to my arm. I stood up and scanned myself. I looked about the same as before, but the blood was no longer on my face or neck. The red stain was gone and my lips weren't as gray. The room I was in was dark. I guessed that it must've been extremely early in the morning.

I decided to go back to where everyone was waiting. Mostly everyone was asleep on cots or the ground. Winn was the only on wide awake. He was staring up at the ceiling with dark eyes. I watched as he stood up, and walked to the room holding my body. He sat down far enough away to show that he wanted to be there next to me, but was afraid to hurt me, if it was possible.

He took in a deep breath as tears threatened to fall. "Kara, please wake up, we're all waiting for you. Everyone is out there for you. Why? Because you are so strong every day, when everyone else needs it. Whenever you walk into a room, you'd be the brightest person in there."

He smiled for a second. "Everyone would turn to admire your strength and fearlessness. But being strong isn't being free of fear, it's the exact opposite. Sometimes it means pushing on through the worst for others, and considering yourself at a lower priority. Yet, it takes true strength, which I know is in you, to look after yourself too."

He sniffled and wiped away some tears. "You always said that your parents sent you here to protect Kal. But we are all born to protect those we love, to be the angels of our better nature. All of this is strength. Be strong, please." He held his head in his hands and let his tears run freely. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Winn."

I knew he wouldn't hear me, but it made me feel closer to him and everyone else who weren't locked in this subconscious state. "How do I get back?" I sobbed.

Winn left a few minutes after that. I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to find out how I could wake up. Everyone wanted me to. It wasn't until a few hours later when I figured out if I concentrated enough, I could start feeling again. It almost drained all my energy though, dealing with all the pain and senses. I took in a deep breath and pushed through a thick fog.

I opened my eyes and found myself laying on the bed. Everything was extremely disorientating and I was confused. Where was I again? Pain burned through my body and I fought back the darkness.

I felt something grab my hand. Someone was talking to me, but I didn't hear them. I looked to my side and I saw blurs of all my loved ones. They were all being held back from the room by DEO agents. The tube in my throat was causing me to gag and my head started to pound. They were trying to hold me down and I pushed them off. Another few hands pushed me down onto the bed. Someone injected something into my arm and I couldn't hold back the darkness any more.

I woke back up and I saw my body laying back down. The tube was now gone from my mouth, but an oxygen mask was covering my face. My legs felt like a thousand pounds, but I still walked back to the lab. There, everyone was talking to each other. "Why was she fighting everyone like that?" Iris asked. "She was probably in shock. I've read a bunch of medical reports that patients in ICUs react strongly after waking up from their comatose state. Some are extremely confused and don't understand why they are there. Other people forget completely. And some are aware the entire time."

Caitlin explained to the group and everyone shifted from the tension in the room. "I just can't believe that Alex almost punched one of her own DEO agents to get to Kara." Cisco stated. Everyone turned to him with large eyes. Then they all looked over to Miss Grant. My heart felt like it dropped. _Oh no, she knows_.

Miss Grant rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I already had my suspicions and it was confirmed when Wit tried to help her. He tore her shirt open to get a better look at the wound. I saw her suit underneath." She paused for a second to regain her famous personality. "What do you all take me for? One of those journalists from the Daily Planet? We all know who Superman is." She waved her hand nonchalantly. "Man, Kara is going to kill me." I heard Winn whisper as he slouched in his chair.

I stared at Winn and I realized why he was wearing DEO clothes. He was covered in blood. He was covered in my blood. He was the one trying to stop me from bleeding out. I swallowed thickly. Now I understood why it seemed to be hitting Winn the hardest out of my friends.

I felt tired so I headed back to the isolation room. On my way, back to the room, I saw Alex sitting in one of the empty armories with her eyes closed and a defeated look on her face.

As I walked through, I noticed that J'onn was watching her too. He was just outside the door. He sighed and walked in. I followed him. "Are you okay Alex?" She didn't answer. "Alex?"

She stood up quickly. "No, J'onn, I'm not okay. Have you seen my sister? Have you seen how weak she is? Did you not see what state she is in? It's been almost a month and the only thing we have is her waking up only to be put back under by sedatives!" I could see her figure shaking.

J'onn rested a hand on her shoulder. "Alex, it's natural for you to be feeling this way. But Kara is still recovering. Her body knows what is best for her. We can't just wake her up because it's been a month. We could cause more damage if we don't let her wake up when she is ready. She lost a lot of blood." He whispered the last sentence.

I heard the smallest voice crack at the end. It was strange to hear J'onn get emotional. Alex sniffed quietly and J'onn grabbed her in a hug. "It's so strange to see her laying there. I feel like every time we end up back here. Her in the isolation room and me waiting for her to wake up." I could see the tears building up in her eyes.

J'onn pulled her closer and lifted her chin to meet her eyes. Tears streamed down her face. "That feeling of darkness, emptiness, you feel is fear, Alex. Fear is a part of being human. It's the precursor to bravery. We need it to make us do what needs to be done. Feel it, own it, and let it ignite your drive." He stated with emotion lacing in his voice.

I could tell that he was trying to be strong, but I knew better. He was trying to make Alex feel better while doing the same to himself. I smiled weakly at them. "Thank you J'onn." I stated and walked back to my bed.


	8. Chapter 8

I can tell that more time passed by. More people come to visit me, but two people who never stay long by themselves are James and Barry. Everyone else usually stays there until they fall asleep, which is comforting to see them sleep. I don't know how much they are getting when they aren't here.

I heard Alex talking to J'onn outside of the room I was in. Neither of them looked happy.

I walked out and began to listen. "Alex, we haven't gotten anywhere with Tycho or his men. It doesn't work to just beat the answers you want out of them." J'onn reasoned. "I know it won't, but it'll make me feel a hell of a lot better." She began to walk, but J'onn stopped her. "If anything, it's your sister who gets that right."

Alex sighed. "I'm just going to talk to them." J'onn released her shoulder and I followed her to the cells. We walked past the DEO agents standing guard. The door opened and I saw Simon sitting in the corner of the cell. He looked up and smiled. "Hello Agent Danvers. How's Supergirl feeling?" He smiled.

Alex tightened a fist. "What the hell did you do to her?" She asked harshly as she glared at him. He laughed. "Now you come in here asking questions? I expected you to crack sooner. I'm surprised." He smiled at her again.

Alex took a steadying breath. "What do you want?" She asked. The smile left his face for a second. "Wow, you truly are desperate if you're offering me things. She still hasn't woken up?" He shook his head. "It's crazy what people are willing to do for family." Alex glared daggers at him. "What do you want?"

"Books, mostly from Stephen King."

"That's it?"

"Yes, you wouldn't believe how _boring_ it gets in here." Simon sighed dramatically. "Fine, I'll get you the damn books. But first you tell me what you did to Supergirl." He huffed. "You want to know what the greatest murder weapon is? It's not a gun. No, no, no. Guns are noisy. Guns can jam. But a knife, that's a true friend. It does its job instantly and will never let you down. Knives are designed to fit to your hand. It's discreet, but deadly."

Alex cut him off. "There is no way a regular knife did this to her." Tycho shook his head. "No, it wasn't. I found this rare metal in the desert of Kenya. It was only a small sample, but I could make it into a blade. This blade was special, I knew it." He explained. "How did you know it would hurt her?" He pulled out a small slip of paper. "After I made the blade, I got a note from someone named Shade."

Alex grabbed the note from under the cell. She examined it before tucking it in her pocket. "Is there anymore of this metal?" He shook his head. "No, that's all I found. I searched everywhere else there were meteor reports, but I found nothing." Alex walked away from Tycho and out of the room. But not before he shouted, "Don't forget my books!"

She ran back into the isolation room where J'onn and Miss Grant were sitting. J'onn looked at Alex who rushed into the room. She grabbed a syringe and took a sample of my blood. "What are you doing Alex?" Alex took the sample and ran to her lab. J'onn rushed after her. "What's going on? Did Tycho say anything to you."

Alex put the blood into a machine. "He did. He told me that he found a meteor containing some strange metal. He made the blade out of it." J'onn narrowed his eyes. "How did he know that it could hurt Kara?" She shoved the note into his hand before going back to the machine. J'onn read the note and shoved it into his own pocket.

Alex jogged to another side of her lab and grabbed an evidence bag. She pulled on some gloves and pulled out a long blade coated in dry blood. My head began to spin and I felt like my heart was beating a thousand times more than it should have. Even from here I could sense the Kryptonite.

She put the blade under a microscope. "J'onn, you need to see this." J'onn walked over and looked into it. "Is that-" Alex cut him off. "Kryptonite." The machine with my blood in it dinged.

"Oh, my god. J'onn do you see that? The Kryptonite is still in her. Circling in her blood. That's why she isn't healing. Why she isn't waking up. Her body is protecting itself by keeping it in a comatose state." Everything began to get extremely bright and pain erupted in my chest and where I was stabbed.

Miss Grant ran into the room. "You two need to get over there now! Something's wrong." Over all the commotion, I could hear the heart rate monitor going crazy. People were shouting and running everywhere. I could only make out blurs, but I could hear my sister's voice clearly. "Kara! Don't you dare let go! Please Kara! Fight this! We need you here!" She begged. "Let me go! Get off me! That's my sister!" She screamed at the agents.

I felt myself thrown back into my body. I could hear everything now. Pain seared in my stomach and my rapidly beating heart.

"Oxygen levels are critical!"

"Bp is 70/30 and dropping!"

"Get Agent Danvers out of here!"

"She's crashing!"

Alex was screaming in the background. "Charging to 300!" Everything else began to fade away, except for their voices.

"I love you Kara.

"Stay strong, Little One."

"You have become the best assistant I've ever had."

"I make no such promises Girl of Steel."

"I'm so proud of you, Kara."

"It takes true strength, which I know is in you."

Something shocked me and I felt a rush, but it quickly faded away. "Damn it! Get me another AED!" I felt the cold paddles on my skin. There was a hot shock and heard the next machine explode. The voices began to fade. "It won't work! It isn't strong enough!"

I heard a few pairs of feet run into the room. "Oh god." I heard a new voice gasp. "Caitlin, Barry focus!" I heard J'onn command. "W-what am I supposed to do?" Barry questioned. "Caitlin, you said that you've had to restart Barry's heart, right?" J'onn asked. "Yeah, but it destroyed the defibrillator. I don't think that it will work-" J'onn cut her off. "We know that! We need Barry to restart her heart! He can throw electricity, right?" All the pain started to finally fade away. I could hear the monitor flat line. There was a bright flash and pain crashed onto me light a tidal wave.

I slowly crawled out of the darkness. Pain was radiating through my entire body. I can barely focus and I felt fragile. The light blinded me. _Rao, am I dead?_

Finally, my eyes adjusted and I noticed that I'm laying back on the bed. I expected myself to get up and wander away, but I realized that was awake. I glanced over to the clock and see that it's about 2 in the morning. I flexed my fingers and toes, the feeling making its way back into my limbs steadily. My muscles were stiff and I could barely move without pain and resistance. I felt the oxygen mask on my face and multiple needles breaking my skin. I looked down onto my chest and see electrodes attached to me. I looked even further down and I could see a hospital gown on me. I was confused, where was my suit?

I closed my eyes for a second and allowed myself to take an extra breath. _I_ _'_ _m not dead. Somehow, I survived._ I opened my eyes up again and looked out the glass wall. No one was there. Alex's screams suddenly echoed through my mind.

I grimaced and decided to find her. I tried to sit up by a searing fiery pain burst through my wound. Gravity pulled down harshly on my body and my joints locked up. I pushed through it and stood up slowly. Black mist swirled at the edges of my vision, but I shook my head to clear it.

I pulled out the lines from my skin and detached the electrodes. I pulled the oxygen mask from over my head and I unplugged the machines, so they wouldn't warn anyone. I steadied myself on the corner of the bed. I pushed myself up and to the door. My legs felt shaky and couldn't support my body. My legs wouldn't straighten completely so I hunched over. I leaned heavily on the wall for support.

My back arched as the pain rushed through my body. I squeezed my eyes closed tightly as my face contorted. I have never felt a pain like this in my entire life. I stumbled to the floor as my head spun.

I clenched my jaw to ease the pain. After a while, the pain began to lessen and I pulled myself back up. Sweat trickled down my face and my breathing evened out. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to Alex. The DEO was quiet, I heard all the machines running, computers humming, and air circulating. Then as I was making my way down a hall, I heard it. I heard Alex, and she seemed to be crying.

I continued to follow the sounds until I made it to a restricted part of the DEO. I quietly pushed the door open. I took a few steps in before I found Alex on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest, and she was sobbing into them.

She didn't even notice that I was there. I went down to my knees. "Not now. I just want to be alone." She whispered. "Not- me?" I asked hoarsely. She turned around so quickly. "Kara? What- How- You-" She began to sob again. I pulled her in weakly for a hug. As soon as I had her in my arms, the dam broke and she was weeping freely into my chest. She pulled away from me.

"How are you awake?"

I smiled. "You shouldn't be out of the isolation room." Pain shot through my side. "A-ware." I mumbled through gritted teeth.

She pulled me up to my feet. I groaned as I moved too much. I tried to walk, but it felt like I was going rip in half. "Kara, how did you even get over here?" I coughed. "-walked." She pulled my arm over her shoulder.

I grimaced as pain throbbed through my body. "Come on, let's get you back-" She was interrupted by J'onn and Dr. Hamilton running down the hall. They sprinted over to us and the black mist began to take over my vision. "Kara, what the hell were you thinking?" J'onn asked. "Wasn't." I answered before collapsing. I felt J'onn pick me up and walk be back to the isolation room. I was laid back down on the bed and the electrodes and needles were returned to their spots.

Another wave of pain rushed through my body. I cried out and closed my eyes. I felt Alex grab my hand. "Kara, you have Kryptonite running through your veins." She informed me. "That's why she's not healing?" Dr. Hamilton asked. "'m aware." I retorted sarcastically through the pain. "Is there anything you can do for her?"

There was a pause. "I could try to give her morphine. I don't know if she'll burn through it or not. And that would only be a temporary fix." Hamilton answered. "Do it." J'onn commanded. Dr. Hamilton walked over and injected the morphine into my IV line.

A few minutes later, it began to kick in. A comforting warmth settled over me and I felt tired. J'onn, Alex, and Dr. Hamilton continued to talk in the corner as I fell asleep.

I woke up again with the pain still clawing its way in my stomach. "How are you feeling?" Alex asked. "Everything still hurts." I answered gruffly. "I'm sorry Kara. I should've been there-" I cut her off. "Alex, we couldn't have known that Tycho was planning this, or if he had that knife."

She sat down by my side. "I know that, but you have no clue how terrified I was when James called me. I expected you to be in bad shape when I got to CatCo. I saw Winn over you trying to stop the blood."

She took in a deep breath. "It was more than I ever would have expected. All that blood, you stopped responding, you were so pale. I called J'onn for a med evac and we flew you to the DEO." I grabbed her hand and smiled weakly at her. "I'm okay now Alex. It's over." She shook her head. "Kara, you have no clue, do you? You have been in a coma for 5 months. 2 weeks ago, I saw you die. You flat lined 3 times before we could bring you back. Barry had to bring you back. He used the Speed Force to shock your heart, there was nothing else we could do."

I could see the tears in her eyes. "Mom was here too. Everyone visited you. We all thought that you- We still all believed that you would pull through, but we didn't know when you would wake up. It hit us all pretty hard."

I thought back to Winn and his broken form. "5 months." I repeated. She squeezed my hand. "It's okay Kara, Barry was there to take care of the city while you were gone." I stared down at my hands. "Thank you, Alex." She stood up and left with a small smile.

I rested my head back on the pillows and closed my eyes. I was out for 5 months. I heard someone walk into the room and sit down beside me. They took my hand. "Kara?" He asked shakily. I opened my eyes and saw Winn sitting next to me.

I smiled at him. "Hey Winn." I greeted quietly. Tears sprung into his eyes as he stared at me. "Oh god, Kara!" He jumped up and gave me a hug. "I can't believe you're awake! When I saw the blood, and then you collapsed, and then all the blood-" He began to cry. "Shh, Winn, it's okay. I'm here now." I rubbed his back.

After a few minutes, he pulled back. "Kara." He whispered. "Winn, thank you. I know what you did. You saved my life. If you weren't there, I would've bled to death." I stated and his face went pale. "I'll always be there for you Kara."

Winn left after a while of talking with me. Apparently, word traveled fast about me waking up. That day I was visited by most my friends and family.


	9. Chapter 9

I was sitting on the bed when I saw a figure linger outside the door. The person took a few extra seconds before entering. It was Barry and he looked terrible.

He sat down by my side and stared at me. "Barry?" I asked. He smiled weakly at me. "God Kara, you scared me half to death." He stated. "I already beat you to it." I joked dryly. He frowned. "Too soon?" He shrugged. "Maybe just a little." He continued to stare at me. I snapped my fingers in front of his face. "Barry?" He broke out of his trance.

He blinked at me. "Huh?" He responded. "Are you okay?" He nodded. "Yeah, I just can't believe that you are awake." I glanced down to my hands. "A lot of people have been saying that. I guess it was that bad huh?" He nodded.

"Yeah, kind of."

There were a few seconds of silence.

"Barry, I'm sorry you had to do that."

"Do what?"

"Restart my heart. Alex said that it took a lot out of you."

He shrugged. "I'm fine. I heal quickly." He answered shortly.

"I don't just mean physically. I know what near death experiences do to people."

"I'm okay Kara."

"If you're okay, then tell me why you rarely visited."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sometimes, I could hear everyone for a bit. I know that you wouldn't stay long if you were alone. I heard your voice." He rubbed the back of his neck. He was silent for a few moments, trying to find the right words. "Kara, when I first met you, it was crazy. I thought that I was the only one like me. But when I showed up on your Earth, you accepted me for who I was as a person, not a super hero. It was hard for me to tell my friends because they saw my suit first, but you saw who was under the mask."

His eyes met mine. "I didn't know how to feel about it. And when I returned to my Earth, there was a hole in my heart. I missed the way you would see me. The way you would look to me as a partner, not a sidekick or a wannabe."

He smiled. "I love everything about you, from the way the wind blows your hair as you fly, to the way you adjust your glasses when you're nervous. And I realized something else as I was back on my Earth."

He paused. "I had fallen for the Girl of Steel. I ached knowing that I couldn't just jump back to your Earth. Your family, friends, and fans, they admire you for the person you are. You stand for everything good in the world and they look up to you for that. A-and-" He cleared his throat. "And when Alex told us what happened, my world came crashing down. How could someone so pure be targeted like that? Those men- I just- I wanted to-"

He shook his head. "Winn and Alex helped me through a rough patch. I thought that I missed the opportunity of a lifetime, but then I was told you came to for a few minutes. I felt like the world was lifted off my shoulders. Now I only had to wait. And I did, but you were still out. Then, you- your heart, I had to save you. I was scared that you were going to leave us for good, but then your heart started again and you were stable."

He smiled at me again, but this time, there were tears in his eyes. His eyes widened and then he hung his head in shame. "I'm so sorry Kara, I didn't mean to dump all that on you. And it's okay if you don't feel the same way." He wiped his cheek and began to stand up.

I grabbed his hand. "Barry, all my life, I've thought that I would have to grow up and live on my own. I knew that I could never fall in love, never have a normal life because of who I am."

I sighed. "Because I have a double life that is risky if anyone knew about it. But since we've been a team, I've seen that it is possible for me to have something like what I've wanted."

Barry and I went silent. We stared into each other's eyes, slowly leaning in. "Can I kiss you?" He whispered. " _Yes_." I breathed. Our breaths mingled silently as we were only a few centimeters apart from each other. My stomach flipped as my heart fluttered.

Our lips finally met in the middle. His lips were firm against mine, but the kiss remained soft, gentle, and slow. We held it for a few seconds, before our lips began to move in perfect sync, slowly, cautiously. I exhaled through my nose, not wanting to let go.

My body was taken over by an overwhelming feeling of relief, combined with something I couldn't identify. He moved his hand from my cheek to the back of my head, his fingers gently tangling in my hair.

Pain shot through my side and I pulled away. "Kara?" Barry looked embarrassed. "No Barry I want to- it's just-" I pulled my hand away from my side and I saw blood seeping through the bandages.

I tore off the soaked bandages as Barry ran to the door. My head felt faint as I looked down. Blood was leaking down my stomach through a large wound. My abdomen was purple and lumpy.

More pain rushed through my system and I cried out. It felt like a nail bomb exploded in my stomach. I tried to breathe, but it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. Dr. Hamilton came rushing into the room. She made me lay back down as she looked over my wound. She put an oxygen mask back over my face and stopped the bleeding. I grimaced as more pain shot through my body.

Someone grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. "It's okay Kara, I'm here." Barry whispered in my ear. After a few minutes, the pain began to wane as I felt morphine flow through my veins.

The pain almost disappeared and I opened my eyes. "What the hell was that?" Barry panted. "Her body is still trying to reject the Kryptonite flowing through her. The trauma she received from the stab wound was only multiplying its effects. I'd guess that until it's gone, she'll continue to experience these episodes."

I heard someone else walk in. "What happened?" Alex rushed over. "The Kryptonite circling through her veins caused her to experience a paroxysm of pain. It caused her to open up her wound."

Alex leaned over the side of the bed. "Are you okay?" I nodded slowly. There was no way I was moving more than that after feeling that degree of pain. "Kara, I need to know, one a scale of 1 to ten, how bad was the pain?" I looked over to Dr. Hamilton.

"Ten the most?"

"Yes."

"20."

I could feel Alex's eyes staring down at me with worry. "I don't know how long the Kryptonite will stay in your system and I don't know how to take it out. I can't do anything while you are this weak. I don't know how it will affect your body." The room fell silent for a second. "What about the morphine?" Barry asked.

Dr. Hamilton shook her head. "I don't know how long that will work. As her body heals and somehow lowers the amount of Kryptonite, she will burn off the morphine faster than her body can use it to dull the pain that she is currently feeling." I groaned out loud. _That sounds terrible._ They all looked to me. "I hate being human." Alex smiled sadly.

I woke up a few hours later. I could feel the warmth of the solar lamps, but I was craving something more. I wanted to feel the real sun's rays beating down on my skin. I knew that it wouldn't do much for my powers, but I knew that it would comfort me. Alex luckily walked into the isolation room. She smiled at me. "Hey, how are you feeling?" I shrugged. "As good as the situation lets me." I answered. Alex quickly caught on. "What's up?"

"I want to go outside."

"No way in hell Kara."

"Please Alex, it's been so long. All I want is 20 minutes outside in the sun."

"No, you're still recovering. You can barely walk."

"I'm going to be recovering for a while. You know that. Just 20 minutes."

"No."

J'onn walked into the room. "What's going on?" Alex turned to J'onn. "She wants to go outside. After all that has happened to her."

J'onn sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Kara, you know how dangerous-" I cut him off. "J'onn, I only want 20 minutes. No one knows where the DEO is located, I'll keep a low profile, and you can even send someone with me. I haven't felt the sun on my skin in 5 months. Please."

J'onn stood there for a second, thinking. "Fine, but only 10 minutes." Alex looked appalled. " _J'onn_." She warned. "Her cells have been subjected to Kryptonite for too long without any exposure to real sunlight. It could do her some good."

Alex stood there, glaring at J'onn. "You will be the agent that goes with her, if that makes you feel any better." Alex huffed. "Not really." She crossed her arms. Before J'onn left, I turned to him. "Thank you J'onn." He nodded. "Be careful Kara." He left the room. Alex's glare then turned to me. "You're lucky that he came in here." She stated.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on Alex, this could help me." She sighed. "I've thought about that Kara, but I don't want anyone to find you. There would be no way to defend yourself if someone got you."

"I know Alex. I've been human before."

"No, you haven't. Not like this. Before, that was only a day, and you came right back. You've been like this for a little less than a half of a year. You've been comatose and I've seen you _die_ , Kara." Alex closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She opened her eyes back up and looked at me with concern. "I want you to be safe Kara, because I don't think I could handle seeing you like that again. I don't think that any of us could."

I looked down to my hands. "I- know, Alex. Trust me, I _know_. And I know that this will take time to heal, more than I want it to. You have no clue how much I just want to take off into the skies and see the city. Or to be able to be with my friends and family. But right now, I need to heal. I need to heal so I can help Barry and the others. And I know how much you want to protect me from everything, but that would be the time I could be the most vulnerable."

"I need to try and heal so I can be myself. I need to be Kara Danvers, and I need to be Supergirl. But I can't be when I'm laying down in an isolation room."

She grabbed my hand. "Okay Kara, I understand." I smiled lightly. "Thank you, Alex." I swung my legs over the side of the bed and went to stand up, but my legs gave out under me. "Whoa, I got you Kara." Alex held me up. Despite how much morphine was circling through my veins, pain shot through my body and I grimaced. "Here let me get a wheel-" I cut her off. "You say wheelchair and I throw you across the room."

She laughed lightly. "You can't even stand; how would you manage that?" I huffed. "I'll find a way." I pushed off her shoulder. Alex protested for a second, but I waved her off. "Let me do this. I need to do this by myself."

I took a deep breath and took another step. I almost lost my balance, but I caught it at the last second. Slowly, I made my way to the door. I glanced down at myself. "Before I go out there, could you get me some real clothes? I don't want to show up like this." Alex nodded before jogging off.

She returned moments later with some black sweats and a tight fitting gray shirt.

We almost made it to the control room when I stopped. "Kara?" The room spun and I held onto the IV pole for support. Hot pain ran throughout my body. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to focus. I felt Alex's hand on my shoulder. "Kara, can you hear me?" I opened my eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I just think the morphine is wearing off, like super quickly." She steadied me. "Does that mean you're healing?"

I shook my head. "No. The Kryptonite still has a tight grip on me." The room spun more. "Ugh, I think 'm gunna be sick." I slurred. Alex grabbed my waist. "Then let's get back to the isolation room." I shook my head. "No, I came this far." I panted. I fought back with the Kryptonite coursing through me for a few minutes.

Finally, I seemed to push away the pain and weakness far enough were I could handle it. I glanced back up to Alex. She looked fearful. "Are you sure you're okay?" Alex rubbed my arm soothingly. I nodded. "Dr. Hamilton said that this would keep happening."

I tightened my grip on the pole and I started to walk again. We made it to the control room and everyone watched me. I felt uneasy as we passed through. "Supergirl!" I heard someone call. I turned around to see Lucy walking toward me with a large smile. She hugged me and I hugged her back softly. "It's great that you're awake. We've really missed you." I smiled back. "I missed everyone too."

I glanced over her shoulder and saw Winn walking over to me from one of the DEO computers. He smiled and hugged me. "You're up. That's great!" I nodded slowly.

"I don't get it, why are you here?"

"Oh, Lucy and J'onn gave me a part time job here. Ever since my work with Myriad, they've been wanting me here."

"Really? Wait, did you say Lucy _and_ J'onn?"

"Yeah, J'onn and I are both acting Directors of the DEO. Since now we've expanded what the DEO does."

"Wow, I've missed a lot."

Winn placed his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll heal and get caught up with everything." He glanced over to Alex.

"Where are you two going?"

"Outside."

"Should she even be going out yet?"

Alex shrugged. "She persuaded J'onn somehow, so I guess." Lucy looked over to me. "Are you sure you should be up Kara? You don't look to good." Alex and Winn directed their attention back to me. "Lucy is right, Kara; you look pale. Maybe we should go back to the isolation room." Alex stated. I shook my head. "No, I need to start moving around again."

Alex and I continued walking until we met the outside doors. We made it outside and I could feel the sun beat down on me. I closed my eyes and spread my arms to the bright sky. It felt amazing. The warmth spread throughout my body and it was more effective than the morphine was at relieving pain. A cool breeze spun around us and kicked up some dirt. I never realized how great it felt to be alive.

Alex interrupted the silence. "Kara, can I ask you a question?" I nodded. "What's going on with you and James?"

I froze for a second. I put down my arms and opened my eyes. "Why?" She shrugged. "I haven't seen him around here in a while. Did something happen between the two of you?" I shook my head. "No, more like nothing happened. He hasn't come to see me. At all. I don't know what's up with him. I tried to ask Winn, but we never actually got to the subject."

She shifted the weight on her feet. "I see." She seemed a bit uncomfortable. "But you were right about one thing."

"And what's that?"

"Barry."

"What- oh. Is that why he went to see you and you two talked forever?"

"We didn't talk the entire time."

"Okay, definitely not what I want to hear coming from my little sister."

"Relax, we only kissed."

"Some things should remain private."

"Yeah, but you and Eliza would have found out sooner or later. Besides, isn't that what sisters do?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Yeah, I guess so, but please don't tell me every detail." I smiled. "Yeah right, like I would do that to you." We both stood in silence for a while after that. Suddenly, a loud sound pierced my ears.

I grimaced and Alex noticed. "Are you okay?" I nodded as I covered my ears. "Yeah, my super hearing is coming back slowly. I wasn't expecting it and I think I just went deaf." She laughed softly. "That's not funny."

The ringing came back. "Kara?" I recognized it as the prisoner escape alarm. "Someone's escaping the prisoner's hold." Alex turned serious. "Are you sure?" I nodded. "Yeah, I can hear it."

Alex unholstered her gun. "Stay here Kara." She commanded. "Uh no." I stated blandly. She turned back to me. "Kara, you just got up out of a coma. You are weak and don't have your powers. Stay here. They are inside the DEO, not outside."

She turned to go back inside, but I grabbed her arm. "Alex, don't you think that they know this?" Alex pulled her arm away. "Just stay here." She ran back inside the DEO.

 ** _Whaatttt_** **? Two chapters in one day? To be honest I just am trying to keep my mind off college right now. Weight training for my team is brutal, and I really don't want to go. It's four hours long:( Any way, yay Kara finally woke up! Progress! And little fluff for Barry and Kara before some drama and action. I'll see you guys in the next chapter! ~Raya Kor-El**


	10. Chapter 10

I waited a few seconds outside and I saw a few men dressed in black approaching the base. I pulled out the IV line in my arm and tried to jog back inside. I stumbled and caught myself on the wall. The alarm was blaring throughout the entire DEO now. I grimaced and tried to harness my super hearing. As I pulled myself into the control room, I realized that a lot of agents were on the floor unconscious. I heard Alex and Winn shouting.

I pushed myself to follow the sounds and I saw Alex and Winn fighting off two men. They looked like Tycho's henchmen, but I knew that he turned them off after he stabbed me and I knocked him out.

Winn went to strike the henchman in the face, but the henchman dodged and knocked Winn unconscious. He fell to the floor in a heap. The henchman turned to Alex. It was two on one now, but Alex didn't know. I watched as the other henchman pulled out a gun while Alex battled the first one. Everything slowed down in an instant. I could see the henchman readying to pull the trigger. Alex glanced over her shoulder to see how Winn was fairing.

I saw her expression changed to fear. The first henchman kicked the back of her knee, sending her to the ground. I heard the click from the trigger mechanism and everything turned into a blur. "ALEX!" I screamed. I managed to run to Alex before the bullet reached her. Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky. I was only quick enough to push her out of the way, but everything sped back up and the bullet ripped through my shoulder. I landed on the floor with a thud.

I heard Alex yell my name, but I was distracted by the two henchmen threatening my sister and the pain raging through my body. The first henchman got a few punches on me before I used some strength to punch him through the wall. He collapsed instantly. The second henchman re-aimed the gun at my chest, but I used my remaining power to freeze the gun.

His hand froze and Alex took the moment to kick it, sending the gun shattering through the air. She punched the second henchman right in the center of the face. He, too, fell to the ground in an instant.

Alex kneeled by my side, her hand peeling back my bloody one from my shoulder. "What the hell Kara! I told you to stay outside!" She shouted. "More- outside." I gasped weakly and pointed to the control room. As if on cue, there were more gunshots. She grabbed her gun that was a few feet away.

Alex stayed right by me as she fired off her gun. I heard two bodies collapse on the floor as she finished. She holstered the gun and came back to my side. "What were you thinking?" Alex scolded. "I wasn't." I answered shortly. I heard Winn groan.

"Help- Winn."

"No, he's not the one bleeding out."

There was some shuffling out of my peripheral vision. "Ow, my head-Kara!" Winn shouted. He scrambled over to Alex and me. "What happened?" Alex ripped back part of my shirt to get a better view. "She pushed me out of the way of a bullet." I grimaced as she moved my arm. "What the hell Kara?" He was upset. "That bullet- had Alex's- name on it." Winn stared at me. "So, you thought the best route was to throw yourself into the mix?"

I took in a sharp breath as pain spiked in my shoulder. "I couldn't let- Alex die. She didn't- see it- until it was- too late." Winn glanced up at Alex, who was entirely focused on my injury.

My eyes began to get heavier by the minute. "Keep your eyes open Kara." Alex commanded. "'M tryin'." I slurred. Exhaustion was wreaking havoc on my body. It was getting harder to keep my eyes open. I laid my head down on something soft. I realized that it was Winn's legs. "Where's J'onn?"

Alex applied more pressure to the wound. I grimaced. "I don't know, he was here one moment and gone the next." I closed my eyes and started to drift off. I could hear Alex and Winn. "Keep her awake Winn. Talk to her. I'm going to find something to stop the bleeding. Hold this here to stop it for now." I heard Alex run off.

"Kara?" Winn called. I was so tired. I felt him move my hair out of my face. "Kara, can you hear me?" I slowly opened my eyes. He let go of a deep breath and smiled at me, even though there were tears in his eyes. "I was thinking about working at the DEO almost full time. What do you think about that?" He asked. "That sounds great- Winn. I know- you love working- here." He nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how Miss Grant will react though."

I smiled at him. "You- don't need to- worry about that. I'll- talk to her." He nodded and I saw a tear escape. "Really? You'd do that?" I nodded weakly. "Of course, you're- my best- friend." He sniffled. "That means so much, Kara. You're my best friend too." I heard Alex running back here. She kneeled by my shoulder. Winn released my shoulder slowly. "I got some supplies to help her out, but we'll need to either get Dr. Hamilton or someone because I don't know what's going on with her body."

She pulled some more items out of the small bag. One of the items I noticed at isopropanol alcohol. "It seems like the bullet went all the way through."

"Is that- good?"

"Yeah, it means that I can wrap you up now and we don't have to worry about the bullet inside your shoulder."

"Damn, that was a lucky shot. An inch higher and it would've destroyed her collarbone."

"Winn, hold her down."

Alex turned her attention back to me. "This is going to hurt a lot Kara." She warned. "I'm ready." I stated through gritted teeth. She poured the alcohol on my wound and it stung severely. I cried out in pain and felt myself try to pull away.

"I'm so sorry, baby girl." Alex tried to soothe. Winn forced me back onto the ground. "Damn, she's strong even without her powers." Alex poured the alcohol on my shoulder a few more times and it wore me out quickly. I was barely conscious when she wrapped up my shoulder. The last thing I saw was J'onn running over to us before I fell into the darkness.

I woke up sometime later and the first thing I felt was a throbbing pain in my shoulder.

The Kryptonite multiplied its effects as pain was rampant throughout my entire body. I looked over to my shoulder and I saw it was wrapped in gauze and my arm was in a sling. Gravity felt like it was weighing me down even more than usual.

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I laid in the silence, listening to my heartbeats on the monitor. After a while, I heard someone enter the room. Their heartbeat was slow and steady at first, but picked up as they neared me.

They sat down by my side. "Oh Kara, what did you do?" It was James. I was going to open my eyes, but I was upset with him and I didn't want to talk.

Why did he avoid me for so long? He sat there is silence for a while before speaking again. "I'm so sorry for not coming sooner Kara. I was afraid to see you."

He paused for a second. "I didn't want to see you like that. Winn told me how you struggled, almost not making it. If anything had happened, I wanted to remember you as the person who would walk into my office with a large smile on her face and the best attitude in the building. I couldn't afford to see you. If I did, I would be afraid that I would break. I'm _so_ sorry Kara." I heard him sniffle.

I was about to open my eyes, but I heard someone else walk in. "I'm sorry Mr. Olsen, but I need you to leave." I heard Dr. Hamilton command. The chair James was sitting on creaked as he stood up and left. Dr. Hamilton walked over to my side and grabbed my free arm. She rubbed it soothingly. "Kara, can you hear me?" I waited an extra second. "Kara?" I opened my eyes slowly. Dr. Hamilton smiled at me.

I tried to sit up, but she stopped me. "Take it easy." I slowly eased myself into a sitting position. "Do you remember what happened?" I nodded. "I was shot." Her smile faded. "Yes. You were. Lucky for you though, the bullet went through your shoulder cleanly. No major tears." I flexed my hand that was resting in the sling. "How long will I be like this?" Dr. Hamilton sighed. "I'm sorry Kara, but I don't know. You lost even more blood, but that also means that you lost some of the Kryptonite. How are you feeling?"

I glanced through the doorway as I saw Winn walk by. He seemed anxious. He glanced at me before looking at his tablet and back at me. He stopped near the door. "Kara?" Dr. Hamilton repeated.

"Human."

"On a scale of one to ten, what is the pain in your shoulder?"

"9."

"And the rest of your body?"

"About a 13."

"Are any of your powers active?"

I tried to use my x-ray vision, but it didn't work. "All burnt out." Winn pushed the door open quietly. "Alex told me that you used some powers to stop those men and save her. Where did they come from?" I thought for a second. "I'm not sure. They could've been locked up and the extra time in the real sun rays helped me reach them in a time of need."

Winn sat down on a chair and it squeaked. Dr. Hamilton turned around. "Mr. Schott, you can't be in here." She stated. "J'onn told me to come in here and check on Kara for him and Alex." She sighed and turned back to me. "Fine, but don't overexcite Kara." Dr. Hamilton took the sling and bandages off to see the wound. "Remarkable." She stated.

Winn leaned closer from his chair. "Is she healed?" She shook her head. "No, but she is healing faster than she has been since she was in a coma." I glanced down and saw that there were already parts of new skin near the edges of the gunshot wound.

Dr. Hamilton continued to take my vitals. Winn waited for Dr. Hamilton to leave before talking to me. "What the hell Kara."

He crossed his arms. "I know." I stated softly. "No, you don't know. Do you know how much work we did to keep you alive? You can't be pulling the super hero stuff all the time Kara! At some point your luck will run out. Do you know the feeling of seeing your best friend laying in the isolation room, looking like death? Do you know?"

I bowed my head. "No, I don't know. I'm sorry for causing so much worry." I mumbled. "It's not okay. I hope you've had your fun playing hero. Because right now, we need Kara back. She was my hope but it seems she'll be out of commission for a while." He stated angrily. "Winn-" He cut me off. "Save it Kara. I hope you heal soon." He stated bitterly and walked out of the room.

I stared at the wall in shock. What the hell just happened? Where did that come from? I am really that bad of a hero? Maybe I am. Maybe I should slow down and go back to a life as only Kara Danvers. It seems like that way people won't get hurt with me around.

Some cleared their throat and got my attention. It was Alex. She was standing by the door. "Are you okay Kara? I've been trying to get your attention, but it seems you spaced out."

I shrugged. "I'm fine." My voice betrayed me and Alex immediately made it to my side. "What's wrong?" I looked down. "I'm not in the mood to be yelled at again."

Alex sat down by my side. "Who yelled at you?" I took a breath. "It was Winn. But it was more like what he said. Or didn't say. He was furious at me. He said that he hoped I was done playing hero for you. And that I was his hope, but he made it seem like I'm not anymore. What did I do?" I buried my face in my hands.

Alex pulled my hands away and held them in hers. "You did nothing wrong Kara. What you did saved my life. I don't want to admit it, but you were right about what you did. If you didn't get in the way, I would've been shot in the face. I was so scared. I looked down the barrel of the gun, and I froze. All that training and I froze. When you took the bullet for me, I was even more scared, but for you. I couldn't lose you after all of this waiting."

She rubbed the back of my hand with her thumb. "Maybe that's why Winn is upset. He tried to save you when Tycho attacked you. And he could cope with that, but this was your choice. Even though it was an incredibly stupid one."

I laughed weakly. "Come on Alex, you know how stupid I can be at times." She smiled.

"How are you feeling otherwise?"

"Still human. And in pain."

"What about the morphine?"

"Dr. Hamilton says that even though I'm not healing like I usually do; I still would burn it off too quickly."

"So, what are you getting for the pain?"

"Nothing. I'm toughing through it."

She crossed her arms. "It's okay Alex. I can handle it." She didn't say anything, but I knew she wanted to. There was a flash of light and a rush of wind. "Kara!" Barry exclaimed. Alex took this as her queue and left the room. I smiled lightly at him. "Hey." He sat down by my hip. "What were you thinking?" I sighed. "Everyone has given me the 'it's stupid what you did and now I'm mad at you' speech. Thanks though." I replied sarcastically.

Barry shook his head and held my hand. "No. I wasn't going to give you a lecture. And I can't be mad at you. I've done that a few times- made stupid mistakes, I mean, not being shot-" He clarified.

"I understand why. You wanted to protect your sister. Your heroism goes down into your core, no matter if you have your powers or not."

He smiled at me. "Thanks, Barry, that's a breath of fresh air compared to everyone else." I smiled back. "Of course, Kara. I guess I have to have your back now all the time, huh?" He joked and I laughed.

"No, only when J'onn or Alex are on my case. But it would be nice if you were on my side all the time." He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my lips. "I will."

Dr. Hamilton walked back into the room with more of an attitude than last time. "Out. Mr. Allen. She needs her rest. And make sure no one else tries to visit now. It's an isolation room for a reason." She commanded.

Barry stood up and walked to the door. He glanced over at me before leaving the room. Dr. Hamilton walked over to me and checked my IV lines. "How are you feeling Kara?"

"Why don't I feel high?"

"Huh?"

"I've seen it where people are delirious after having it in their system. When Alex was on Percocet after she got in a fight and broke her nose. She had to get it fixed and was on Percocet for the pain. She was quite amusing for those first few days."

She laughed. "I don't think I could ever imagine you high." She shook her head and her small smile disappeared.

"But, I don't completely understand why it hasn't affected you as severely. Maybe because your metabolism is still high even though you don't have your powers? I'm not sure. I know a lot about your physiology and how it reacts to certain medications, but not everything. So it's partially guesswork. Just, get some sleep Kara. Your body is still fighting the kryptonite and exhaustion is more probable." She left and I dozed off.

 **Woohoo! Finally made it to Chapter 10! I might be posting another chapter later today, but it all depends how my practice goes. So keep an eye out. And again, I really appreciate your support. Sooooo, yeah, see you guys in the next chapter! ~Raya Kor-El**


	11. Chapter 11

I woke up some time later feeling hot. I thought that maybe Dr. Hamilton turned the solar lamps back on, but they weren't there. I blinked a few times to get rid of my blurred vision, but it only got a bit clearer.

I saw Winn walk by my room, but he didn't even look in here. Guilt settled in my stomach and I stood up. I pulled on my sweat pants and pulled my IV pole behind me. It seemed to be very early in the morning because I didn't see many DEO agents on the base. I swayed in the hallways to the control room.

I didn't understand why I was feeling this way, but I thought that maybe it had to do with being in a coma for a long time. I fought my disorientation until I found Winn. "Kara, what the hell are you doing out of isolation room? Dr. Hamilton told us that no one can see you until you improve." He stated emotionlessly.

I shook my head. "I don't care what she says Winn. I needed to talk with you. I'm so sorry for being irresponsible and putting my life in danger. Especially since you and everyone here tried so hard to keep me alive. But you need to understand that I am both Supergirl and Kara Danvers. I can't be one without the other. If I see anyone in danger, I must be there. Particularly if there is one that is a part of my family. That includes you and James and all our other friends."

He stared at me for a second before smiling sadly. "On the inside, I guess I've always known that. But seeing you like that really got to me. I thought that morning was the last time I would ever talk to you. Then finally you woke up from the coma, but not without crashing a few times. And then you risk your life all over again for your sister. I think that I overreacted and I'm sorry if I hurt you, Kara. I would never mean to hurt you."

I smiled back at him before another wave of nausea washed over me. He narrowed his eyebrows at me. "Are you okay Kara? You're looking a bit flushed."

I waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." He stared at me longer and raised an eyebrow. "Are you 100% sure?" I nodded slowly. J'onn walked by and glanced at me. "Kara?" He asked. I looked over to him and I could see concern written on his face. Suddenly, my body began to tremble and I felt sick. I could feel a cold sweat starting to form on my skin. I heard Winn talking to J'onn. "She doesn't look good, does she? I asked her if she is all right, but she waved me off and said she was fine." Winn explained. J'onn took a step closer to me. "Kara, what's wrong? And don't lie to me. I can see that you are unwell." The world began to rock and my vision became even more blurry.

I gripped tightly onto the IV pole before a burning sensation tore through my body. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. "Kara!"

A few seconds later I heard people rushing around me. They were all talking, but I didn't listen. I was trying not to spill my lunch and control my fast heart beats.

I felt someone's hands grab my arms. "Damn, she's hot to the touch!" I was lifted off my feet and brought back to the isolation room. A blurry figure that I guessed was Winn was in the corner while the Dr. Hamilton blur and J'onn blur stood above me.

"What's happening with her?"

"What are her symptoms?"

"From what I know is fever, disorientation, trembling, and sweating."

Dr. Hamilton and J'onn stepped away from my side. A rush of the burning sensation surged through my body and I cried out. "Dr. Hamilton, what is that?" I heard Winn call out.

I blinked a few times before looking down at my body. There were bright green veins running up and down my arms and other parts of my exposed skin.

Dr. Hamilton rushed to my side and took out her stethoscope and listened to my heart. She waited a few seconds before pulling the cold metal away from my chest.

She leaned over to my side. "Kara, what else are you feeling? What's happening right now?" I gritted my teeth and the burning sensation ripped through in another wave. "Blurred vision- nausea- a-and- a burning sensation in my body. _Ugh_!" I shouted as another wave burst through my body.

Dr. Hamilton rushed off but I heard her mutter under her breath, "Oh shit." J'onn still stood above me, and he grabbed my hand. "Just hold on Kara. Dr. Hamilton will have this under control soon." I knew that he left off a part to that. He was also going to say, _hopefully, otherwise Alex will kill both of us._ Dr. Hamilton rushed back over to my side. "What's happening to her?" I heard J'onn ask. "The kryptonite in her system is poisoning her."

" _What_?"

"It's been in her system too long. And now that she is awake, her body isn't fighting the kryptonite as much when she was unconscious. The gunshot must've ruined the delicate balance it had on her body. Her body is focused on every process on top of healing; it is increasing the effects and slowly killing her."

I heard the door open. "What the hell? Kara!" _Alex_. I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry and tight. "Winn, hold Agent Danvers back! Dr. Hamilton has a handle on the situation, right?" There was a silence between the 3 people in the room. My vision cleared up for a second and I saw that Dr. Hamilton had a large needle with some purple liquid in it. "What the hell is that?" Alex asked. "Something that I made to reverse the effects of Kryptonite." Dr. Hamilton explained.

She tried to find a vein in my arm, but was unsuccessful. "How long have you had this?" Winn asked. "Not long. It's still in its testing phase. And this is the only sample I have. It was a prototype."

I lost consciousness and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. I struggled for air. "Hold her down!" Dr. Hamilton shouted. I felt two pairs of hands grab my arms. "What are you doing?" Alex shouted.

"I can't find a vein fast enough and I need to get the substance to her heart before she goes into cardiac arrest." I fell back into consciousness for a few seconds.

"Kara, this is going to hurt like hell." She raised the needle and stabbed it through my chest. I felt the needle pierce my skin and go into my heart. I screamed as a cold sensation rushed through my body.

I rolled out the darkness and I felt extremely exhausted. My vision was clear and there was no burning sensation. I took a deep breath and noticed that I had an oxygen mask on. I closed my eyes for a second and allowed myself to readjust to reality.

"You all gave us a scare Kara." I opened my eyes to see Kal sitting in the chair next to me. He adjusted his glasses and smiled at me. "I scared myself." I pulled off the oxygen mask and sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I think the substance Dr. Hamilton gave me works."

"What substance?"

"For the Kryptonite poisoning."

"That's what poisoned you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, did they not tell you?" He shook his head. "They only said that you had a serious episode and was rendered unconscious." I sighed. "No. Apparently, the Kryptonite in my system started to slowly kill me because of the long exposure." Kal's expression turned to anger. "Why the hell did they not tell me?" He stood up and was about to leave. "No Kal. Please just, stay here. I want company. Dr. Hamilton has had me under strict watch."

He sat back down and Dr. Hamilton walked into the room. "Out. Mr. Kent." She commanded. "No, please Dr. Hamilton. Let him stay. He needs to be aware if it happens to him too."

She sighed and waved him off. "Fine. No interruptions then." Kal nodded. "Of course." Dr. Hamilton took my vitals again. She sighed and shook her head.

Kal seemed unnerved. "Something wrong?" Dr. Hamilton waited a second before answering. "No, nothing too serious."

"What's the non-serious part then?" She exhaled through her nose. "Mr. Kent. I said no interruptions." I saw Kal's jaw tense up.

"She is my only blood family left. It's our duties to look out for each other."

Kal's eyes met mine and I saw determination behind them. "It seems that your body is severely malnourished and weak from the Kryptonite." I scoffed weakly. "I could've told you that." She glared at me for a second. "I'm going to have to keep supplying IVs and other substances to keep you healthy in a human's standard. That means that your powers won't be returning anytime soon."

As she delivered the news, it felt like all hope of a quicker recovery left my body. I saw the same reaction from Kal. Apparently, Dr. Hamilton did too. "I'm so sorry Kara. There's nothing else I can do." She grabbed a needle and came closer to my arm. "Alex told me that she needed a blood sample to see if my serum completely removed the Kryptonite, or if there is any still in your system." She took a good amount of blood before nodding and heading out of the isolation room.

I stared at the door. "Kara? What are you thinking about?" I looked back to Kal. "What happens if I don't get my powers back? What if I'm human for the rest of my life? What will happen then?"

He took my hand. "Kara, our powers are only a reflection of ourselves. We use them for good. We don't need powers or our suits. We don't need to fight the bad guys. But we do anyway. Because we have always been heroes. You are the most kind and caring person I have ever met. So even if you don't have your powers, you'll always be Supergirl to me. And I'll always stand behind you. El Mayarah."

I smiled sadly at him. "El Mayarah. Thank you Kal. That means a lot to me. Especially now." He smiled back at me before glancing to the door. "Kara, I don't want to be rude-" He started. "It's okay Kal. I understand. Thank you for visiting me." Kal gave me a small hug before leaving.

Dr. Hamilton walked back into the room. "Is there anything you want to make you more comfortable?" She asked. "A shower and a toothbrush?" I asked shyly. She smiled. "Of course, come on Kara." We walked down the halls in silence.

Dr. Hamilton continuously asked if I needed to stop, until we reached the showers. She walked off for a second before returning with new sweats, a toothbrush, a towel, and some shampoo and conditioner.

I also saw that she got Alex. "Alex?" I question, but immediately understood after she made eye contact with me. "No way. I don't need anyone to be in there with me. I can handle it."

Dr. Hamilton crossed her arms. "No. You were just suffered from poisoning and you shouldn't even be walking. You're lucky that I at least got your sister." I glanced over to Alex. "I'm not helpless." I muttered. Alex shot me a look saying that I should deal with it.

We walked into the small shower room and closed the door. I turned to Alex. "I don't need you here." Alex sat down by the door. "I know that. But Dr. Hamilton is right. You were just poisoned and the Kryptonite could still be inside you. We don't need another attack like yesterday. Besides, I'll just be out here in case."

I huffed. "I'm not going to win, am I?" She shook her head. "Not if you want to shower." I rolled my eyes and quickly got into the shower.

I was relieved to find that there was a small curtain separating Alex and me. I looked down to my stomach and saw the scar from where I was stabbed. It still looked red and angry, but way better than it did before. I ran my fingers over the scar and shuddered. I then looked to my shoulder. There was new skin covering the bullet wound, but I could tell that it was still fresh. The bandages still had dried blood and I couldn't extend my arm entirely straight.

I hopped out of the shower and got changed immediately. I brushed my teeth and reemerged to Alex's side. "Feeling better?" She asked with a smile. "You have no clue." I sighed and we walked back to the isolation room. I sat back down on the bed and Dr. Hamilton gave me the IV lines again. For the next couple days, I was monitored closely and only Alex and J'onn could visit me. Occasionally I would see Cisco and Winn walk by as Dr. Hamilton would issues some tests.

After a few more days, she concluded that most of the Kryptonite was out of my system and that my powers would return soon. Weeks started to pass by and I still wasn't allowed any visitors and my powers still didn't return. Dr. Hamilton had scheduled sun soaking sessions, from the solar panels and from the actual sun. I could feel myself absorbing the sun, but my powers were still missing.

It was depressing. I fell into a rut. I had my powers stripped away, no visitors to keep me company, and I knew that I was failing my city. I was weak. What could a human do anyway? One night, I decided to sneak down into the training rooms and work out. I was stuck in the DEO and I was going to make the best of it. Every time that I was left alone, I would go down into the training rooms and work on something.

After a few more weeks, I started to notice I was getting stronger, but not from my powers; from my workouts. It made me feel more like my old self even though I was pulled away from my friends and was powerless.

It was early in the morning when I walked into the control room and an agent approached me. "Dr. Hamilton is looking for you." I nodded and quickly found her in her lab. "I'm so sorry Kara."

"Huh?" She turned around and walked to me.

"I tried so hard, but I can't figure it out."

"Dr. Hamilton?"

"There was something else in the blade that stabbed you. But I can't figure out what. But I think that is what is causing your power shortage."

I looked down at my feet before looking back at her. "It's okay Dr. Hamilton." She shook her head. "I'm so sorry Kara." She repeated.

20 minutes later, Dr. Hamilton told me that I was cleared to go. She contacted Kal and told him to check in on me every now and again. She also told me to come back to the DEO if I felt anything like when I was poisoned or stabbed. Dr. Hamilton arranged for an agent to drive me back to National City.

Finally, we made it back to my apartment building and the agent got back into the car and drove away. I walked up to my apartment and unlocked the door.

Once I did, I smelled the stale air. I looked around and saw a small amount of dusk collecting on my shelves. But as I looked around I noticed some footprints in the dust. I assumed them to be Alex's.

I didn't realize that I was exhausted until I laid down on my bed. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to go to sleep.

I was woken up by a loud knocking on my door. I groaned and rolled off my bed. I wished that I had my powers back so I could see who was behind the door. I walked tiredly to the door and opened it slowly.


	12. Chapter 12

Barry was behind the door and his clothes looked windswept, like he ran here. "Kara!" He grabbed me in a hug. I hugged him back with my good arm and allowed him in. "How did you know I was here?" I asked. "Cisco called me and apparently, your sister was freaking out. She is looking for you. You didn't tell her you were released?"

My eyes widened. "Oh no. I didn't even think about it. Dr. Hamilton released me early this morning. I didn't tell anyone that I got back. I was too tired to do anything else." I answered.

"Yeah, well I ran there to see where you were, and she seemed upset. No one knew where you were. I guessed that you would come back here and Alex told me to check. She'll be here soon." I sat down on my couch. "Man, she is going to kill me."

Barry held my hand. "I'll stay with you then. I just got you back, and I'm not leaving anytime soon." I smiled. "Thanks Barry."

"Of course, Kara."

He gave me a light kiss and I blushed. He laughed. "What?" I asked. "You're cute when you blush." I felt my cheeks burn even more and he laughed again. "Stop it." I joked and laughed. I wrapped my free arm around his torso and he wrapped one arm around my shoulders. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his heart. "You have no clue how great this feels." I stated.

"What do you mean?"

"I never had many visitors, or any at all. Dr. Hamilton had me under strict watch. I got lonely."

"What about your sister?"

"She stopped coming."

"J'onn?"

"Too busy."

"Cisco? Winn?"

I shook my head. "No. Dr. Hamilton made sure I stayed in isolation. It was terrible. But I found ways to entertain myself." He shifted underneath me. "How?" He asked. "I would sneak down to the training room and work out. It kept me sane." I answered. He squeezed my shoulders gently. "I though you looked more toned."

"Don't tell Alex though. She will be pissed if she finds out that I went against Dr. Hamilton's orders." He nodded. "I promise." I began to doze off again. There was a harsh knock on the door. I continued to stay on the couch, not caring who was there. I was enjoying Barry's presence too much to move.

He slipped from underneath me and I groaned. " _No. I was comfy._ " I complained groggily. He laughed. "Yeah, but if that's your sister, she'll kill me if she doesn't get in." I laid my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. I heard Barry open the door. "Where is she?" I heard Alex demand. "On the couch. But take it easy on her." Barry warned.

Alex's heavy footsteps echoed through my apartment. "Kara." She stated breathlessly. I opened my eyes. "If you're going to yell at me, then get it over with." I announced. She rushed over to me without another word and grabbed me in a hug.

I grimaced as she squeezed my shoulder a bit too hard. She took a deep breath. "I'm so glad that you're okay Kara. You have no clue how worried I was." I didn't return the hug. She pulled back with a confused look etched on her face. "Kara?" Her arms were still around mine. "Maybe I would know if you came to see me."

Alex opened her mouth to say something, but closed it immediately. "Kara, it wasn't my fault. Dr. Hamilton ordered me to stay away while she tried to see what was happening in your body. She didn't want to release you before she knew that you could leave." Alex seemed a bit hurt by my tone. I sighed and pulled her back into the hug. "I'm sorry Alex. I just felt alone and I hated it."

She stroked my back. "I know. And I should've done more to get to you." We pulled away from each other. "Why didn't you tell me that Hamilton released you?" I shrugged. "It was too early in the morning. I knew that you were working hard to help me and you'd probably be tired. You deserved to sleep." She smiled and shook her head. "Kara, you know that you could've called me." Barry stepped back over to the two of us. "Or any of your friends. We would've gotten you." I smiled.

"I know, I guess I was too excited to get out of the DEO and too tired to really think." We visited for a few more hours and Barry returned to his apartment. Alex and I stayed on the couch for a few more hours until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Alex left and I went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up and got dressed slowly. I threw on some pants and a light blue blouse. Dr. Hamilton ordered me put my arm into a black sling because my shoulder was still healing and any large movements hurt.

I threw it on and left my apartment. I went over to Barry's apartment and I knocked on the door. Caitlin opened the door. She looked surprised. "Kara! You're back!" She smiled and hugged me gently.

She allowed me in and I saw everyone there. They were all excited to see me no longer in the isolation room of the DEO. Iris was the last person to see me. "Kara, what are you doing here?"

"Well I was hoping about going to go back to CatCo today. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" She nodded. "Of course." Barry interrupted. "Can I come too? For extra support?" I nodded and we took off.

20 minutes later of walking, we made it to the outside of the CatCo building. "Man, I miss flying. It took forever to get here." Iris smiled softly. "Don't worry, they will come back." I looked up to the large words on the side of the building and sighed.

Barry took my free hand and squeezed it gently. "If you don't want to go in, we can try another day." I shook my head. "There is nothing to be afraid of. Besides, I need to talk to Miss Grant."

Barry, Iris, and I walked into the large glass doors of the building and entered the elevator. I stared at the button of the 15th floor.

Quick flashes of Tycho's henchmen tackling me flooded my mind. I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my hands. I heard Barry take in a quick breath and I remembered that I was still holding his hand.

I released his hand quickly. "Sorry." He looked down at me with loving eyes. "It's okay. I'm here for you."

Finally, we made it up to the final floor and the elevator opened. My chest tightened as people stared at me. I had to stop by my office to get away from all those sympathetic eyes.

Iris had to get back to her cubicle so it was just Barry and I in my office. "Are you sure you don't want me to come in there with you? Just for support?"

I shook my head. "No, I need to handle this on my own. I need to explain to Miss Grant why I lied, by myself." He nodded and took a step closer to me. "I'll be right here if you need me." Barry stated and kissed me lightly on the lips.

I took a deep breath and made my way to Miss Grant's office quickly. Oddly enough, she wasn't there. I looked around the office, trying to see any signs of her being in here recently. I realized that the office was rearranged. My eyes stopped on something under a table.

I swallowed thickly as I continued to stare at it. I took a step closer to it. Suddenly I felt something start to grow in my stomach. I realized the sensation as pain and I started to shake.

It was my blood, dried to the white carpet. If someone didn't know it was there, then they wouldn't see it. But I could, as if it was still wet. There was barely a difference between the carpet under it and the carpet next to it. If I stared hard enough, I could make out the edge of the stain.

The pain had an unpleasant warmth to it, eating at my stomach. There was nausea too, just enough to make me hold onto the table for support and breathe slow. I thought that I could get over the pain with what I've experienced in the past few months, but it wasn't possible. It owned me, dominating my every thought, and controlled my every action.

I felt warm hands grab my sides and lead me away from the stain. I was sat down on a couch facing away from the dried blood. I closed my eyes and tried to shake away the feeling of dread.

I blinked and I realized that I was staring at Miss Grant. "Kara? Kara, can you hear me?" I swallowed again and nodded slowly. "Y-yeah." She grabbed my hand. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I just wasn't ready to see that."

"Neither am I. I'm not, every day."

"Huh?"

She took in a breath. "That moment when I saw the blood staining your shirt, I was petrified. When Winn went to help you, I didn't even notice the suit or the crest. I was only concerned for you. I thought that I could've handled it. Carter and I watched too many slasher movies together and I thought I would be ready for anything. But I was terribly mistaken. Real blood is nothing like movie blood. There is no amount of horror that could've prepared me when I saw the life ebb from you."

She closed her eyes for a second and took another breath. "You started to choke and gasp for air. Blood was everywhere. Winn tried to stop the bleeding. James looked anywhere for a first aid. Iris called your sister. Then she and the Blur, the Flash, whatever he is called, rushed in. You stopped responding and your breaths were so slow. Your sister tried to get you to answer anything, but you were only staring at the ceiling with unblinking eyes." She paused. "I was frozen. Your sister called someone and 5 minutes later you were taken away. It was only after 20 minutes when everyone was in the black military cars headed to God knew where, did I realize what I saw. You and Supergirl were one."

I saw some tears rush down her face. She wiped them away quickly. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I spoke. "I'm sorry to have lied to you." I whispered. She shook her head. "I understand why you didn't want me to know." Miss Grant answered as rested her hand on my wrist to show that she meant what she said.

I was surprised by the action and recoiled for a second, but calmed down when I understood. I shook my head, making my point of denial. "You threatened to fire me." I head dropped low and my voice was barely understandable. "Look at me." Miss Grant ordered. I couldn't meet her eyes. "I guess the cat is out of the bag, no pun intended." I tried to break the silence.

There was a ghost of a smile. "Miss Grant-"

She held up her hand. "I'm not going to fire you Kara." I bit my lip nervously. "Kara, look at me." I met her eyes slowly. "The only thing I care about now is that you need to get better. We all need Supergirl back in our lives. And Kara Danvers. She was the most persistent ray of sunshine in my office."

I smiled softly. "Thank you, Miss Grant." She smiled at me. "Kara, I want you to know that your identity is safe with me. This event has made me realize what you are to me." She grabbed my hand softly. "You are like the daughter I never had. Brave, intelligent, kind. Everything I ever wanted as a daughter." I saw a single tear run down her face.

She wiped it away quickly and stood up. "Now, you need to heal quickly. There is a city out there that needs you and a CEO who needs her employee back."

She leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I'm glad to see you up Kara." I smiled softly. "I'm glad to be back up." I took one more look at the stain and walked back to my office.

Barry was at my side in an instant. "How did it go?" He asked. "It was fine, but I think I want to go back to my apartment. I feel- not like myself right now." He grabbed my hand. "Sure Kara. Let's go." We walked out of the office and went back to my apartment.

We got back in record time. I laid down on the couch and closed my eyes. "Are you okay Kara?" I nodded. "Yeah." I breathed in deeply. "Do you want me to get Alex?" I shook my head. "No, I just think that I need to wade back into my normal life, not jump in and make a huge splash."

He laughed. "I could've told you that." I opened my eyes and sat up. "Thanks for being there for me Barry." He sat down by my side.

"I'll always be there for you Kara."

"I know that."

He smiled.

"And I'll always be there for you Barry."

"Thanks, Kara."

He stood up. "Are you sure you're okay? I can stay here if you're not." I shook my head. "I told you, I'm fine. If anything feels wrong, I'll call you or Alex. You can trust me on that, right?" He nodded. "Of course, feel better Kara."

Barry left and I stayed on the couch. Nausea came back to me in waves, but I forced them back. My throat was dry and head pounded so I pulled myself over to the kitchen. I grabbed a cup and tried to drink my water, but my hands shook too much. It shattered on the ground and I grabbed a chair for support. I clenched my eyes shut and waited for this episode to pass.

After a while, my symptoms began to die down. Exhaustion hit me like a truck. I pulled myself to my bed and I fell asleep there shortly.

 _The pain was like a knife being twisted in my spine. It shot up fast, erasing every thought from my head and paralyzing my body. The pressure increased on my stomach. Apparently, I screamed, but I don_ _'_ _t recall that part, only the pain. It couldn_ _'_ _t have lasted long though, the screaming, because by the time the evac team arrived my voice could only come out in faltering gasps as I struggled to make my brain listen to their voices and respond with something._

 _Iris was kneeling by me, stroking my hair over and over, saying that I would be all right. Her voice betrayed her tears. There was no kind way to move me onto the stretcher. I felt myself black out for a short amount of time and I guess that was a blessing. The best part was when I started to float away- from the screams of my loved ones- into a cloudy darkness of the purest nothing._

I woke up drenched in sweat and panting hard. I could feel my body shaking. My hand shot down to my new scar. There was a loud pounding sound around me. I couldn't tell if it was my head or if someone was at the door.

Seconds later, there was a large crash and I heard a few pairs of footsteps rushing in. Lights flickered on and I saw Barry, Caitlin, and Joe rush in. Joe had his gun in his hands and Caitlin seemed extremely worried.

Barry rushed over to my side. "Kara, are you okay?" He grabbed my hands. Joe slowly lowered his gun and looked around the apartment. "You're shaking." Barry noticed.

"Yeah. I-I'm fine."

None of them seem convinced. "Kara, we heard you screaming from our apartment." Joe stated. I looked over to Caitlin and she nodded slowly. "I- I don't know what happened. One moment I was sleeping and fine, but the next-" I paused. "And the next, I was relieving those minutes back in CatCo shortly after I was s-stabbed."

Joe placed his gun back in his holster. "I'll go tell Cisco and Iris you're okay." He left and Caitlin made her way over to my bed. "Alex should know about this, and so should the DEO." She stated. I shook my head fervently. "N-no. It's okay." I tried. "Caitlin is right Kara. Dr. Hamilton should know about this."

I lowered my head and shook it slowly. I could feel tears starting to form. "Please no. Not now." Barry sighed. "Okay Kara, we won't." He stopped for a second. "Caitlin, I got this. You can go back." He insisted. I heard Caitlin walk out of my apartment.

Barry rubbed my arm. "Why don't you take a shower? To try and get your mind off it." He stated. I got up weakly and went to shower.

Barry and I stayed up the entire night. I struggled to stay awake as Barry held me in his arms on my couch. It was about 4:35 when Barry finally spoke up. "Kara, you can barely keep your eyes open. Why don't you go back to sleep?" I shook my head. "I can't. I can't forget that."

"You can't keep fighting it. It's better to let yourself fall into sleep slowly that to make your body suffer." He reasoned. I contemplated for a few seconds before getting up. He followed me into my bedroom and I laid back down. He sat down on a chair in the corner. "Barry?"

"Hmm?"

"You can go to sleep too. You must be tired. I saw the news today."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not."

He sighed. "Okay, I'll be on the couch if you need me." He began to walk away, but I grabbed his arm. "Stay here, please. I feel better with you near me." He smiled softly. "Sure." He kicked off his shoes and laid down on the other side of my bed. I could tell that he was laying down on the very edge of the bed. I began to doze off. I could hear his heartbeats slow down until he was asleep. I fell asleep shortly after him.

The next morning, I woke up gently. Last night's events came barreling back into my mind and I shuddered. It was at that moment that I realized that Barry's arms were wrapped around me. He stirred and pulled me closer to his body.

I closed my eyes and took in a slow breath. Barry was suddenly woken up and he pulled away from me. "What-" He was confused for a few seconds. "Sorry Kara." He blushed. I smiled at him. "It's okay Barry. And thank you." He nodded. "I told you that I'll always be there for you." I stood up and walked out to the kitchen.

Barry's phone went off and he answered quickly. "Hello? Hey Cisco. No, I didn't see that; I just woke up. I'll be there now." He hung up and looked at me. "I have to go Kara."

"What's up?"

He hesitated for a second. "There's a hostage situation going on downtown. There are at least 3 injured. Sorry Kara." He said before kissing me on the cheek and then racing off. I jogged over to the tv and turned on the news. I watched as Barry rushed over to the scene and stopped the robbers.

One second passed. Two seconds passed. Guilt was eating at me. A fire burned in my mind and throat. Remorse hit me like a sledgehammer. I could feel the resentment of Supergirl from here. Admiration was aimed at the Flash now. I was yesterday's news. The prize was gleaming gold and waiting for him now. More guilt ran through my body as I realized what I was feeling was wrong. I should be happy for Barry, he's saving the city. I shouldn't crave the approval of National City, and I shouldn't want to be viewed as an idol. He smiled at the cameras and waved at the citizens. I swallowed a lump in my throat. I needed to know what the world thought that happened to Supergirl.

I grabbed my laptop and googled Supergirl. Most of the articles and newscasts were about me mysteriously disappearing. Some claimed that I abandoned the city and allowed crime to take over. I watched the newscasts of riots and burnings of the crest of El. Some others stated that somehow the criminals figured out how to kill me and I was executed by them.

Luckily Miss Grant and Kal came to my rescue. Miss Grant wrote countless articles of my well doings and how I would never abandon the city. Kal stepped in as well in multiple ways. He had the Daily Planet back up CatCo's stories and he, as Superman, would state that I was dealing with other worldly business. After that, all the stories that posted hatred and resentment toward me, disappeared.

I closed my laptop and sighed. "Thank Rao." I breathed. I sat in the silence for a few minutes. Why would there still be hatred after almost 6 months of my disappearance? I shook my head and walked away from that spot. I didn't want to stress about that yet.

The next couple of weeks went by uneventfully. My powers still haven't come back, and my nightmares were as bad as ever. Only Barry knew about them, and even then, I only told him about the serious ones. He thought that I only had them occasionally, but truthfully, they occurred every night. I was lucky to be getting the sleep I did.

 **Man, that was a long chapter. I'm sorry for not posting again yesterday, so I thought that I would make up for it today by posting two chapters. As you can tell I've was missing Cat Grant as I wrote this chapter. I wished that she made more of an appearance in season 2, but I'll take what we can get. And this break until season 3 is killing me; I can't wait much longer. *sigh* How long is it until October? Any ways, have a great day and I'll see you all in the next chapter! ~Raya Kor-El**


	13. Chapter 13

There was a knock on my door and I was brushing my teeth. I rushed over to it and opened the door. There stood Alex, and she didn't seem happy. I walked back to the bathroom to finish brushing my teeth.

I came back out and Alex was standing next to my couch with her arms crossed and a glare on her face. "Sit." She commanded.

I hesitated for a second before taking a seat. She continued to glare at me in silence. I began to feel uncomfortable. "Alex?" I asked softly. "How could you lie to me Kara?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Huh?"

She sighed and sat down next to me. "I know about your nightmares, your phantom pains." Alex stated. "I-How?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter how-" I cut her off. "Who told you?" I asked. She stayed silent. "Was it Barry?" I asked again. Finally, she cracked. "No, it was Iris. She told me that you've been losing sleep over nightmares and flashbacks. And that you've been experiencing phantom pains."

All anger disappeared from her face. "Kara, why didn't you say anything to me?" I looked down to the ground. "I was tired of leaning on everyone else to get better. I didn't want to stay in the isolation room any longer. I don't want any more medication." I paused for a second. "I just want my powers back. I want my life back." I whispered.

Alex pulled me in for a hug. She rubbed my back as she spoke. "Kara, I'm your sister. I would never force you to go back there if you didn't want to. I'm not mad at you, I just wish that you would've told me sooner."

I buried my face in the crook of her neck. "I'm so sorry Alex." I sobbed. "Hey, it's okay Kara. I'm here." She soothed. "I miss flying over the city. Feeling the wind in my hair, touching the clouds, smelling the clean air. I miss wearing the crest proudly on my chest. I miss helping the city. I miss the rush of adrenaline as I rushed into a burning building, or into a bank. I miss it."

She pulled back slightly. "You will get your powers back Kara. I know you will. But you must be patient. Everyone else is trying to be patient too. And they miss you too. The city misses Supergirl, but they are willing to wait until she is fully recovered so she can be their hero again."

She leaned back and grabbed a black bag. "And speaking of your suit-" My eyes went wide. "No way." She smiled. "Yeah, Winn and Cisco made you a new suit." I stared down at the black bag. "Cisco _and_ Winn?"

She nodded and opened the bag. The design looked like my suit, but there were more hints of red in the hems and the blue was a bit darker. The crest was slightly bigger than the last.

I grabbed the suit and noticed it was a bit heavier than usual. "So, I was told that there were some new features in your suit. Now you and Barry both have bio tech in your suits to monitor your vitals. And Winn added pieces of the technology from Non's anti-Kryptonite shield to protect your chest if you're ever exposed directly. The material is a bit denser so that any bullets won't damage your suit or cause any damage to your skin. And the fabric absorbs more solar radiation since you practically wear it all the time."

She pulled out the cape. "Nothing was done to the cape, since you have such strong ties to it. The boots are more tactical now and have a tighter fit to make it easier to run or kick. And now they have better traction if you need to push something extremely heavy or if you're being pushed back." I ran my fingers over the crest and I smiled.

"It looks great." I placed it down on the bag. Her face fell slightly. "Aren't you going to try it on?" I stared at the crest. "I will, but not yet. It looks amazing and I know that it will be great when I wear it, but I know that won't be for a while."

I looked away from the bright colors. "Kara-" Alex started. "It means a lot to me, really. I'm appreciative for what Winn and Cisco did for Supergirl, but I can't do this. Not now."

She nodded her head understandably. "Okay Kara. I understand. But at least try it on. Just- trust me, okay?" She pulled the suit back into the bag and put the bag out of my line of sight.

Alex smiled at me. "Would pot stickers and pizza make you feel any better?" She asked. "It depends; does that include binge watching Homeland?" She nodded. "Of course, I thought that was a given. And of course, there is ice cream after this." I smiled. She ordered the pizza and pot stickers and I turned on the tv. "What episode are you on?" Alex came walking back in with the food. "What do you mean?"

"What episode are you on? I was- _out-_ for a while and I figured that you watched them." She shook her head. "I'm on the same episode as you." I looked over my shoulder. "You didn't watch any more episodes without me?" She took a small bite of pizza before setting it back down. "No, I wanted to wait for you. You would've killed me if I did." I bit my lip. "You waited?" My voice cracked slightly. She gave me a sad but reassuring smile. "Of course, Kara. I never wanted to give up on you. I knew that you would come back to us." She stated softly. I gave her a watery smile. "That means a lot to me Alex."

"It means a lot to me too Kara." She patted the seat next to her. "Come on, we have a lot of episodes to catch up on." I grabbed a piece of pizza and sat down next to her. She leaned her head on my shoulder and took a deep breath. "I love you Kara." I leaned my head on top of hers. "I love you too, Alex."

I woke up the next morning curled up in my sheets. I rolled over and I realized that Alex was there with me, asleep. I smiled as I remembered that we stayed up pretty much all night watching Homeland. It was almost 5 am before we decided to call it a night. Alex was about to head back to her apartment and go to sleep, but I insisted that she crashed here. At first, she resisted, but then accepted the idea. It was a little after 5:30 before we both fell asleep.

I rolled over and saw that my clock said that it was about 9:49. I watched as the second hand ticked away. I realized that I had a great night's sleep without the reoccurring nightmares coming to wake me up in the middle of my sleep every night.

"Your nightmare happens every night?" I was startled by Alex's voice. "How did you know that?" She laughed. "You just said so."

I raised my eyebrow. "I did?" She nodded and the smile disappeared from her face. "Since when?"

I didn't want to answer. " _Kara_." Alex stated sternly. I sighed. "Every night since I returned here." Alex sat up. "And you didn't think to tell me? Or do anything about it?" I huffed and sat up. "Didn't we go through this conversation last night?" Alex rubbed her eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry. But please Kara, no more secrets." She pleaded.

Her eyes locked with mine. "They happen almost every night. It's usually about when Tyco stabbed me. I relive the moments from when I realized I was stabbed to the seconds before I fell unconscious. The pain comes back and I wake up sweating and in pain. Almost like the blade is still there." I confessed and placed my hand on the scar. "How are you getting sleep?" I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I get about 4 hours a night. But I think that Kryptonians don't need as much sleep as humans do." She sighed. "You may be Kryptonian by blood, but right now you are human. And humans need a lot of rest when they recover from serious wounds and traumas."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Why didn't you have any last night?" She asked. "I think it was because you were there. Usually when someone is with me, I tend to either not dream or not have a nightmare." We walked out into the kitchen. "Whoa wait, 'usually'? What does that mean?" She asked, her sisterly voice coming out.

I froze for a second. "Uh nothing." I smiled shyly and waved her off. She came over to me. "Kara." Her eyes bore into mine. I huffed. "When it first happened, Barry, Caitlin, and Joe heard me screaming. They rushed in to see if I was okay. I asked Barry to stay for the night, because I was scared beyond belief. After that, he tended to stay here during the night, even if I didn't ask him. Finally, I told him to go back to his apartment after so many nights of him staying with me." Alex glared at me, trying to see if I was telling the truth.

She crossed her arms, but didn't try to ask any more questions about that subject. "Why do you think it happens when you are alone?" I shrugged. "I don't really know. My guess is though it has something to do with abandonment issues. When I was in the coma, I could wander the halls of the DEO. It was an out of body experience and I was terrified. I couldn't do anything to get out. I felt everything and nothing at the same time."

I paused for a second. "Then something happened that I didn't expect." Alex stayed silent and I took that as permission to keep talking. "I saw Astra. She talked to me, told me what was happening. How that my body was still in shock and that my mind was wandering to avoid reality. At times, I would feel so alone I started to feel anxious. I was dying to speak with anyone." I cringed for a second before laughing briefly.

Alex was confused. "Bad wordplay." I deadpanned. Her face fell into a frown. "And then after I woke up and Hamilton put me in isolation, that feeling came back. The only interaction I had was Hamilton. And you know how much of an entertainer she was. Even though I knew it wasn't anyone's fault why I was alone, I still felt like everyone abandoned me. Maybe even now I feel that way because I can see that National City has sort of moved on from looking to me for help."

She grabbed my hand. "They haven't moved on. They never will, especially after saving them from Myriad." I clenched my fist at the name. "I guarantee that once you come back, they'll be ecstatic to see you again." She reassured. I smiled at her. "Thanks Alex, I feel a bit better now that I've gotten that off my chest." She nodded. "Of course, Kara. If you need to talk, I'm here."

Alex left a few hours later as she was called into the DEO for some business with a Keltran. I paced my apartment, with the black bag in the corner of my eye. Deep inside me, I wanted to wear the suit, but I knew that I would only feel worse because I knew I couldn't use it.

After a few more minutes of my internal struggle. I decided to put it on. This suit felt even better than the last. I couldn't even tell that there was more weight to this suit. It felt like some athletic clothing that could breathe easily, but still stand punishment. I pulled on the boots and cape and then stood in front of the mirror. It was invigorating to see my crest on my chest again.

The sun hit my suit just right and I could feel the rays being soaked up more easily by the suit. "Wow." I was in awe. The extra jolt of power surprised me, but I didn't feel any different after I got used to the sensation.

I heard my phone go off and I rushed over. "Hello?" _Kiera, how are you feeling?_ "Uh, fine I guess, Miss Grant. Why are you calling me?" _That_ _'_ _s good. I need Irene to pick up Carter, but she doesn_ _'_ _t know what to do. I want you to go with her. Only if you are feeling up to it, however._ "Oh, of course Miss Grant. I'll be there soon." _Chop chop_. I hung up and decided to keep the suit on under my clothes.

I rushed over to CatCo and to Iris' side. She grabbed her purse and smiled sheepishly at me. "I'm really sorry Kara. If I knew what to do you wouldn't have to be here." I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I needed an excuse to get out of my apartment anyway."

We finally got to Carter's school. Iris and I waited inside the entrance hall for him. As we waited there, I heard a gun cocking in the distance. "Iris, someone's coming in here, and it won't be good. Call the police." I warned softly. "How-" I cut her off. "I got a brief second of my super hearing. I heard the gun being cocked."

Suddenly, the doors burst open and two men rushed in with Ak-47s in their hands. The parent's dove on the ground as the men shouted. I pulled Iris into a small hallway outside the main hall. We kneeled by the door. I left it open a crack to peek at the men and hear what they said. "I want all of your money, jewelry, and anything worth money. I know that this a very private and very expensive school. Don't hide anything or I'll kill the students." The man with a blue ski mask on threatened.

The other man with the gray ski mask started to go around and collect the money. I looked out the window and saw two more men with ski masks and guns starting to enter the school. "Iris call the police. Now."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw a small staircase. I knew that this lead to the back of the school. We could warn the rest of the teachers and students of the men. After Iris called the police, she was about to call Barry when it went off. Apparently, the men in the other room heard it because the leader began to yell at the others.

I opened the door a bit more and placed Iris' phone there. I tugged her up the stairs and away from the main hall. We stopped when there were two ways to go. "Go to your left and warn the other teachers. You'll be far enough away to warn them without running into those men." I ordered.

She nodded and turned to the hall. "Wait, what are you going to do?" She asked. "What I do best." I answered with fake confidence. "Wait, aren't you still, you know, human?" She asked with doubt in her voice. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I make sure no one is hurt. Go Iris." I shoved her shoulder slightly.

After she was gone I took a breath and tried to steady my shaking hands. I quickly undid my buttons on my shirt and I pulled the rest of my clothes off to show my suit. I glanced down at the crest. _If I die_ , I thought to myself, _I die fighting and I_ _'_ _m taking those men with me_. _No one gets hurt._ I swallowed the doubt in my throat and ran off to the main entrance.

I made it back to the main hall, but I noticed that everyone was gone. My heart dropped for a second before I decided to check on the rest of the school. I ran through the halls until I heard that man talking. I glanced at the door and saw what room it was. Room 402, Carter's homeroom. I kicked open the door.

The four men all turned their attention to me, but their guns stayed on the students. I could see Carter and Iris in the room. "Supergirl? We thought you died. You haven't been seen for quite some time. We've been _longing_ to run into you." I could sense the man was smirking under his mask. "Let them go. You have what you need."

He shook his head. "No, I got an even better idea. All these kids belong to some high up people. I guarantee that they would be willing to pay handsomely for their child's release." He turned away from me and looked over the kids. My heart froze when he stopped in front of Carter. He grabbed Carter by the collar and pulled him forward.

Carter stood only feet from me. "Who's your parent, kid?" The man questioned. Carter kept his head bowed and stayed silent. The man readied the butt of his gun in the air. He was going to hit Carter. "No!" I shouted and rushed forward. I grabbed the gun and broke it over my knee. The next few seconds turned to chaos.

The three other men finally turned their guns to me. I pushed Carter out of the way just in time as the men released a wave of rounds to me. Without caring if the bullets ripped me to shreds or not, I rushed forward and tackled the first man. He was down in an instant. I worked my way around the room as the rest of the people stayed low and away from the bullets.

A few seconds later, the chaos stopped and the men were unconscious. I took a breath and realized that I wasn't shot. I attempted to use my x ray and I saw that there were 10 police cars near the entrance of the school. I turned my attention back to the people in the room. "Is anyone hurt? Are you okay?"

My question was met with a momentary silence. Then, the room erupted with cheers and clapping. The kids were smiling and the parents had relieved looks on their faces. Seconds later, the police burst into the room with guns drawn.

The police lowered their guns as soon as they saw me. "Supergirl." A few police officers muttered. They all had the same facial expression written on their faces. Surprise, and gratefulness. The police arrested the 4 men and parents began to give statements. Before I left, something caught my eye. It was a small piece of metallic paper with tiny writing all over it. I picked it up and shoved it into my boot.

My eyes locked with Iris' for a second. I nodded to her and then decided to see if I could return to the sky. I jumped into the air and a satisfying sensation overcame my body.


	14. Chapter 14

I was at least 50 feet in the air when I felt something buzzing on my side. I hovered in air and searched the suit. There was comm resting on my hip.

I raced through the sky. _Kara?_ "Winn?" _Where are you?_ "I don't know." _Huh?_ "I'm not really sure. I'm either guessing over the Pacific Ocean or near Asia by now." _Wait what?_ "I'm flying, Winn." I stated breathlessly. _You got your powers back? And you_ _'_ _re wearing the suit? How do you like it?_ "Yeah, I did, and I love the suit." _How are you feeling? Your vitals look normal. Heartbeat, impeccable. Oxygen levels, perfect. Blood pressure, excellent. I_ _'_ _m only detecting small traces of Kryptonite through your body._ "You can do that?" _Yeah, we wanted to make sure that we knew how you were in a fight without having to solely rely on you, in case something happens._ "Oh, wow. Well, I feel great. Free." _How did you get them back?_

I quickly told Winn about the incident at Carter's school. _Well, I_ _'_ _m happy that you got your powers back Kara. You deserve them._ "Thanks Winn." _Where are, you going by the way?_ "No clue, wherever I want." _You might want to hurry back, Alex wants you_.

I debated about returning to the DEO, but in the end, I decided to take extra time in the skies. I pulled the comm out of my ear and raced through the sky.

Finally, I landed on an open field somewhere in Russia. The cold winds whipped around me, but I wasn't effected. I found a more secluded place and sat down. I took in a breath and released it slowly. I watched as the hot air dissipated through the cold.

 _I almost died. No, I did die. I was brought back to life. I almost lost my powers. I almost lost Alex to that bullet. I almost met my parents in the Light of Rao. I almost died from Kryptonite poisoning. I almost died. I almost lost my powers for good. I almost failed those I love. Almost. Almost_...

I shook my head and grabbed my mother's necklace that was around my neck. _No, I am alive. I have my powers back. I have my friends. I have my family. I have my new friends. I have Barry. I have my city. I survived. Supergirl survived. I will survive._ Doubt crossed my mind for a second. _What if I don_ _'_ _t survive next time?_ I rested my head back on a rock. "No, I can do this. It's why I am still here. To take care of those who need it most. To be there for my friends and family. I will do anything to keep them all safe."

I realized that the comm was buzzing like crazy. No doubt that it was Alex trying to get a hold of me. I stood up, brushed the snow off me, and then took back to the sky. I raced back to the DEO and landed quietly. I walked through the control room. "Where's Alex?" I asked. Winn spun around in his chair. "Where were you? I lost you on the GPS for a while."

I raised my eyebrow. "GPS?" He nodded. "Yeah. Another feature we added. You must've been booking it then. The satellite couldn't keep up with you." I shrugged. "I'm pretty sure that it was Russia." His went wide eyed for a second. "Is that why there is some ice on your cape?" I glanced down to see ice sparkling on the ends of my cape. "I guess so. Where's Alex?"

"She's not here. I think she's waiting for you at your apartment."

"How was she calling me on the comm then?"

"Another feature. Alex, J'onn, Barry, and I have that number. As well as the control room, here."

I thanked Winn and raced back to my apartment. I landed in my apartment and glanced around. It was too quiet. I used my x-ray vision to see Alex standing on the other side of the door with her arms crossed and her foot tapping the floor impatiently. I exhaled before opening the door. Alex walked into my apartment and immediately went to the fridge. She grabbed a beer. "Where were you?"

"Russia."

"Why the hell where you in Russia?"

"I-"

"No, I want to know why you didn't answer when I called you."

She huffed and opened the beer. "Sometimes Kara, you act so immature." Alex took a quick sip of beer. She was about to cut me off, but I stopped her. "Alex, the reason I was in Russia was because I needed to think. I needed to be alone for a few minutes without anyone adding in their thoughts. I needed to get my own thoughts and emotions together. Yes, I just got my powers back, which is a huge relief."

I paused for a second. "But I died. I know that it hit you guys hard that I was gone for so long. But I _died,_ Alex. I saw the Light of Rao. I could've seen my parents again. I could've seen all my friends, family, everyone on Krypton that died. I wouldn't have to stress anymore about losing you, or Barry, or Winn, or J'onn. I wouldn't have to stress about all those live I put in danger every time I take to the skies. All the damage I cause. The pain and suffering I caused you and your family."

Alex placed the bottle back down quickly. " _Don_ _'_ _t_ Kara. You never caused _our_ family any pain. We loved you and still do." I could see tears forming in her eyes. "You know that's a lie, Alex. We both do. I know that you miss Jeremiah. I know that Eliza misses him too. And so, do I. But it wasn't fair for him to be taken away because of some _alien_ was dropped into your lives. Your family." I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from crying. "Stop it Kara. Your part of this family too. You are a Danvers too!" She jabbed her finger on my chest.

Anger washed over me. I grabbed her beer bottle and threw it to the ground. It shattered on the floor. "You know damn well I never belonged with you! With your parents! Jeremiah could be alive right now! You could've had a life not centered around me!" Tears rushed down Alex's face. "Where would you be then Kara? In the DEO for 12 years? Being tested on? Experimented with? You're my sister. Blood may not bond us, but we are sisters. You _are_ my sister! Yes, I do miss dad, but I could never imagine my life without you." Her voice cracked.

All anger and tension left my body. I stared down at the broken beer bottle. What did I do? I glanced at Alex's sobbing form. She sunk to her knees and was crying into her hands. I took a shaky breath and approached Alex slowly. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders."I'm so sorry Alex." I whispered into her ear. She leaned onto me and continued to cry. "You are a part of our family." She mumbled repeatedly. After a while, Alex stopped crying and she grabbed onto my arms. We stayed on the ground and in each other's arms. "We do love you Kara. You are our family. Dad made that decision because he knew that you deserved a life. One that could be almost be as normal as it could have been. He wanted you to live a full and normal life."

I stood up and offered her a hand. I pulled her up and I glanced at the clock. It was 10:57. My phone buzzed and I saw it was from Miss Grant. "You can stay here for the night. I should go see Miss Grant right now. I'll be back later." I flew out of my apartment and over to CatCo. I landed on the balcony quietly. I could smell alcohol as soon as I got near to the hunched over figure.

The figure sniffled and turned around. Miss Grant's eyes were bright red and puffy. She quickly tried to hide the fact she was crying. "Uh, Miss Grant? Are you okay?" I asked. "Supergirl." She glanced behind her, and I saw her newest assistant in the office. "I heard what happened at Carter's school today. Irene told me what you did and the conditions you did it under. Thank you." I nodded. "Of course, Miss Grant, it's my job to protect National City and all those in it. You know that."

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Miss Grant grabbed me in a tight hug. "Thank you so much Kara. You have no clue how much it means to me that Carter is okay. But never try to pull any more stunts like that." She whispered in my ear. She pulled back and straightened her shirt. "It's good to have you back Supergirl. Keep your eye on the news tomorrow." I smiled at her. "It's good to be back. And I will." I took back off to the sky.

The next morning, I woke up and saw Alex was gone. I turned on the news. Every station in National City was reporting my mysterious return. Some stated that it was a hoax planned by the government, but others truly believed I was back. They interviewed citizens and most of them stated that they either wished I was back, if it was a hoax, or was glad that I was finally returning to the city.

There was a knock on my door. It was Barry, Iris, and Cisco. He smiled at me when I opened the door. "So, I heard you returned?" I nodded. "Yeah, some burglary at Miss Grant's son's school. They threatened to kill the students." The three of them walked in.

Iris walked next to me. "Are you okay? When they first started to shoot at you, I was so terrified. Did you know that you had your powers back?" I shook my head. "I didn't really know. All I thought was that I needed to keep everyone in that room safe."

Both Cisco and Barry were listening to us talk. "You didn't know that your powers were back, and yet you stepped in front of 3 guys with AK's? That's bad ass." Cisco commented. Barry shook his head. "Kara, that's dangerous." Barry warned. "I know, but I couldn't let anyone die."

There was a momentary silence before my phone went off. I looked down and saw that it was a text from Alex.

 _Robbery on 6th and main. 10 hostages. Can you do it?_ I glanced back up to them. "I'm sorry guys, but I have to go. Robbery and kidnapping." They nodded and Iris and Cisco left. Barry stayed for an extra second. "I'll let you have this one. I saw the news. You need to make an appearance without me. But after, I want to talk with you." I nodded before he left.

I quickly changed into my suit and took off to the location. I touched down in front of the bank. I could hear the robbers shouting at the hostages. I used my x-ray vision to see where the robbers were at. I took a breath before sprinting into the bank. I attacked the robbers and knocked them all out before they could harm the hostages. The police rushed in a few seconds later. They arrested the men and I made sure the hostages were okay. I heard a few phones and cameras taking pictures of me. I smiled before leaving at them.

I rushed back to my apartment. Barry was waiting on my couch. I sat down next to him. "Is everything okay Barry?" I asked. He shook his head. "You need to be careful Kara. That was incredibly risky what you did at the school." Anger washed over me.

"If you think that I wouldn't do my job-"

He placed his finger on my lips. "I said it was risky, but not heroic. That was exactly what you needed to make your comeback, but don't do anything like that again. I don't want to see you hurt, Kara. I care too much about you to see you hurt again. It kills me." All anger disappeared from my body. "Barry, I-" I stopped for a second and he waited for me to speak again. "Thank you. I won't pull anything like that again. Okay?" He smiled and leaned in.

I leaned in too and our lips met in the middle. The world fell away as he kissed me. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. His hand rested below my ear, his thumb caressed my cheek as our breaths mingled. I ran my fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between each other. He shivered slightly. I could feel the beating of his heart against my chest. We pulled away slightly. Our lips were just centimeters apart. I could feel him breathe out slowly. I pulled back a bit more and opened my eyes. He did the same.

He smiled at me. "I don't ever think I can get used to kissing you. It feels like the first kiss all over again." He whispered. "You better get used to it." I laughed and pulled his shirt to get him closer. We kissed again, but this time it was short and sweet. Barry pulled away. "I might be able to." He laughed.

* * *

The next few months went by and I slowly adjusted back into my normal routine. I was lucky enough to figure out how to overcome my pain. The city was alive again, and I felt alive again too.

I was pulling on my boot when I felt something near my toes. I pulled off the red boot and looked inside. I found the small piece of metallic paper that I lost a few days after stopping the robbers at Carter's school. I sat down and looked at the writing. It was Kryptonian writing. I stared at the paper until I understood what it meant.

I pulled on the boot and rushed to the DEO. "Where's Alex?" I asked a random agent. "Right here, what's wrong Supergirl?" Alex stated while walking into the control room. "Those men, I think they were from Cadmus." I answered. She placed down the cup of coffee.

"Why do you say that?" J'onn walked up to us seconds later. "What's going on about Cadmus?" He asked. "Supergirl says that those men that attacked the school are from Cadmus."

They both looked to me for an answer. I pulled out the piece of paper. Alex grabbed it and studied it for a few seconds. "Is that Kryptonian?" She asked. "Yeah. I found it after the men were arrested. I lost it for a while, but I found it today when I pulled on my boot."

J'onn grabbed the paper from Alex and studied it. "What does it say?" He asked. "It says that Cadmus is watching me." I paused for a second. "That's not what it all says, is it?" Alex asked. I shook my head. "It says that- Jeremiah is alive. He's working for Cadmus, but they are willing for a trade."

 **I know what you are all thinking. Raya doesn't post for a few days and then she double posts? What is going on?**

 **To be honest, time slipped away from me, which it normally doesn't. Haha oops, my bad. I felt guilty for leaving you guys so I wanted to make up for it (and I kinda enjoy double posting. Weird).This chapter ended up a bit more angsty than I intended it to be. Oh well. Cadmus is back! And they have Jeremiah? Interesting.**

 **On to a different note, did anyone see the post on social media from Melissa Benoist that they are going to start film again soon? And so is the Flash cast! I'm so excited! I'll see you all in the next chapter! ~Raya Kor-El**


	15. Chapter 15

J'onn raised an eyebrow, but Alex immediately understood. "No, no, we are not trading you for Dad. Hell no! You can't even possibly think for a minute that I'll let you do that." I rubbed my arm. "Alex, if that means we could get your dad back-" I started, but Alex didn't want to hear anymore. She walked off angrily.

I looked to J'onn. "You know how valuable an asset Jeremiah is. Especially if he's been working with Cadmus for 12 years now."

J'onn crossed his arms. "I see where you are coming from, but you are even a greater asset than he is. I can't let you do this. I'm sorry." He said and was about to walk off. I grabbed his wrist. "J'onn, I know that you know what a huge advantage this could be for the DEO."

He sighed. "I know that, but you are like a daughter to me. I can't let you do this. It's too risky and Alex would never forgive me." J'onn stated and walked off. I sighed and a plan was made in my head. I rushed off to Dr. Hamilton.

She saw me and smiled. "Hey Kara. How are you feeling?" I sat down. "Fine." I answered shortly. She stopped what she was doing and looked at me. "What's wrong?" I looked to the exit to make sure that Alex or J'onn wasn't nearby.

"I need you to do something for me. But no one else can know."

"Kara?"

"Please Dr. Hamilton."

She stood there staring at me for a few seconds contemplating on her decision. "I need to know what you want before I agree to anything outrageous." She finally stated. I nodded. "Of course, I need you to place a tracker under my skin." I answered. Her eyebrows knitted together. "What for?"

"A mission."

"What mission? Why can't anyone else know about this?"

"It's more of a solo mission. Alex and J'onn don't really approve of, but I need to do this. If I don't, I could regret it for the rest of my life."

"I don't know why you would need a tracker for a solo mission, but I will help you." She turned around and grabbed something from a locked cabinet. There was something that looked like a futuristic gun hidden in the cabinet. "I need to get some Kryptonite since I need to break your skin." She walked off and I sat quietly in the med bay. She returned with a small box I assumed was lead lined. She unlocked the box and placed it near me.

I stared at the glowing rock warily when I felt a pinch at my ribs. "Sorry. It's done. I don't know what you are planning or what this mission is, but please be careful."

I nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Dr. Hamilton. And please don't say anything about this to anyone." I walked out of the med bay.

The next few days passed by slowly and I was trying to finish my plan on getting Jeremiah back. I was called by the DEO about a possible bomb threat downtown. I quickly changed and rushed off to the bomb's possible location. I scanned the city and finally found the bomb hidden in an office building. "Alex, I found the bomb." I stated as I pulled the large object into my arms. _Is it armed? Or counting down?_ "No- wait-" I noticed as I first touched it, the timer started. "Crap." What's wrong? "It just started counting down." _How long do we have?_

"About 2 minutes. That's not enough time to get it out of the city. Wait, where's Barry? He could get it out of the limits in time." _We haven_ _'_ _t seen Barry in a few days. Haven_ _'_ _t you seen him?_ "No." The clock hit a minute and 10 seconds. "The only way to get it out of the city in time is to go up." I stated and started to pull the bomb into the sky. The timer kept counting down as I kept climbing into the sky.

How much time is left? "54 seconds." _Throw it Kara! We don_ _'_ _t know what_ _'_ _s in there and we don_ _'_ _t want a repeat last time when we fished you out of the ocean._ "Not yet! I still have time!" _Do it!_ I stared at the timer, it suddenly stopped. _Kara! Throw it!_ "It stopped!" _What do you mean?_ "The timer, it stopped counting down." _You need to get rid of it. Bring it back here so we can disarm it._ "No, it could go off there and hurt all of you. I'll bring it to somewhere isolated and then destroy it."

I changed my direction to the desert and raced there. I heard a quiet beep and I looked down. There were 4 seconds left. "Alex, it started-" The bomb exploded in my arms. I fell from the sky and landed on the hard ground. I lost conscious seconds later. The last thing I heard was Alex calling out my name desperately. _Kara? Kara! What happened? Kara, answer me! Damn it!_

I woke up some time later the ground. I sat up and groaned. I noticed that I was in a large crater that was still smoldering. The sun shone down on me brightly. I blinked a few times and saw the DEO showing up in military cars. Alex ran out of the still moving car to me. "Are you okay?" She asked and looked over my body. "Yeah, I'm fine. That bomb had a bit of a punch to it." I joked. She huffed and rolled her eyes. J'onn came over to my side. "Supergirl, are you okay?" He asked. I nodded. "Good, we need to get back to the DEO. Barry is missing."

We finally got back to the DEO. "What do you mean that Barry is missing?" I asked. "We believe that Cadmus has him." Winn stated. J'onn glared at him and Winn slumped in his chair. "Cadmus?" I repeated. J'onn nodded. "Yes. Apparently, they took him to get to you. I assume that they weren't happy that you rejected their trade." I clenched my jaw. _I should have traded myself over when I had the chance, now Barry is with them because of me. They better not have done anything to him._ "Still with us Kara?" Alex asked. I nodded, but stood silently as I wished I left for Cadmus.

J'onn and Lucy concocted a plan to infiltrate Cadmus. I barely paid any attention as I noticed an agent signaling to me. I waited anxiously until the meeting was over. I followed the agent to the locker rooms. She handed me a slip of paper. "Cadmus told me to give this to you, or they would kill my husband." She stated before running off. I looked down to the paper. There was a lone address and 5 words. **Come alone or he dies- Cadmus.**

I flew off to the address later that night. I felt the effects of Kryptonite and I was blindfolded. The muzzle of a gun was shoved into my back and I walked blindly along. Finally, I could see. I looked over to my side and saw a tall figure. _Barry._ I rushed over the bars separating us. "Barry!" I called. He stirred. "Kara! You're here! Oh, god you shouldn't be here!" He grabbed my hand. "I'm so sorry Barry! I should've known that you were gone! I shouldn't have focused so much on finding Jeremiah!" He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand.

I stood up and tried to bend the bars. Nothing worked. I glanced over to Barry. "Can't you phase through this?" He shook his head. "They tested me, and took my speed." He stated. "Oh, Barry. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."

I turned back to the bars and tried to bend them again. I heard a laugh. "You can't break free, silly alien. They are made from Nth Metal, unbreakable metal from Thangar."

A woman stepped out from the shadows. She had blonde hair with hints of gray. She walked silently closer to the cage holding me. "Welcome to Cadmus, Supergirl." She smiled cruelly.

I knew that smile. It was on Daily Planet's front cover for weeks while he had his reign of terror. "Lex, you're Lex Luthor's mother. Lillian Luthor." I stated.

She nodded. "Correct. I must say thank you for making this so much easier. I do admit that I am surprised that you didn't offer yourself right away to us for Jeremiah when you had the chance. Your friend had to pay for your actions. Selfish alien."

She turned away and one of the guards handed her a black case. "I noticed something with your cousin as he fought my son and so many others. If he uses too much of his power, they get blown out for some time before they return. That must mean that you're humanistic under your alien physiology." She pulled out some headgear.

She walked back over to the cage. "Now, if you would be a good little alien and put this on." I shook my head and stepped away from the cage's door. "Get away from me!" I shouted. "I don't think you should disobey me. Your friend doesn't have long until he dies."

She laughed. "What-" Barry started but a gunshot cut him off and echoed through the dark room. "NO!" I screamed. The bullet pierced his stomach.

He immediately started to bleed. "Now, you put on the device and drain your powers, or he dies. Do this, and we'll help him." She stated. I glanced over to Barry. "K- don't-" He choked out. I stepped closer to the door. "I don't want you to die. I'll do it."

The door swung open and the device was placed on my head. "Use your heat vision. It should soak up the radiation from your body that makes you 'super'. But I'd better hurry if I were you. He doesn't look too good." I glared at her as my eyes lit up. "I hope you go to hell." Lillian scoffed. "Honey, I live here every day." She stepped back and waited for me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to burn through the device with my heat vision. After a few seconds, it felt like my powers were being sucked from my body. I screamed out and fell to the ground. The device was taken off my head. "Good alien, but let's see if it worked." I was kicked in the ribs a few times and I coughed.

I looked down to see blood on the cold concrete. "Perfect, take her away." Lillian commanded.

Two men grabbed me by my arms and started to drag me out of the room. "NO! Help him! Help him!" They pulled me into a new dark room. "Help him! You promised! You bitch!" I screamed.

There was a quick blow to my face. I tried to blink the blood out of my eye. "There is no tolerance for that language here." Lillian stated over an intercom. I spat at the speaker. "Fuck you." This time, I was punched harder. My head whipped backwards and my ears rang. The world spun.

I thought I saw someone familiar through the barrage of fists and feet. "Jere-" I tried. They dragged me back to the room with Barry.

I was thrown carelessly into the cage. I fell to the ground in a heap. My head collided with the ground and I blacked out.

I woke up some time later. I slowly pushed myself up and leaned against the cold bars. Barry must've heard me moving. "Kara! Oh god, what did they do it you?" He asked. I didn't answer him, but I held my head and closed my eyes. After a few minutes, he broke the silence again. "Kara?" He asked gently.

I noticed that Barry was extremely pale and covered in blood. I ignored him. I banged in the bars weakly. "You promised! Help him!" A few guards came into the room. "Shut up!" One of the men ordered.

"I will if you help him." They grabbed the keys and I had a small glimmer of hope. It, however, vanished when they opened my cell.

They rushed in and two of them held me by my arms. The third kicked me squarely in the chest. The two men finally released my arms and I stayed on the ground. The third guard gave one finally kick. "You don't get to make demands." He stated and all three left the room.

I pulled myself over to the bars near Barry. I grabbed his hand. "Barry? If something happens- if I don't get out of here. I need you to tell Alex something for me. I need to tell her to just keep living her life on her own terms. Tell her I wasn't scared, okay?" He squeezed my hand gently. "You'll get out of here. We both will." Lillian came out of the shadows. "That is so precious." Her voice was sickly sweet.

"I never knew that humans could fall for aliens. Interesting." She cocked her head to the side and stared at Barry with a sickening look of curiosity. My stomach turned. "Don't you dare do anything to him." I growled. Her attention turned back to me. "Still alive with determination? Very interesting." Sweat trickled down my neck as I tried to control my breathing. Lillian opened the door slowly and I was dragged out of the cage. Lillian threw a small roll of gauze into Barry's cage. She grabbed my chin and made me look into her eyes. "See Supergirl, I'm not a monster."

 _"_ _Lying bitch._ _"_ I growled in Kryptonian. She narrowed her eyes at me, but said nothing. I smiled weakly at her. Her face quickly turned to anger and she slapped me. "Bring her to room 103." She commanded. I was strapped down to a cold table.

This time, there were more people in the room. It was Lillian, 3 guards, a guy that was dressed like a doctor, and General Lane. "I've been dreaming of this day ever since your cousin became Superman. We'll know how you tick." General Lane purred. "Wh-what are you going to do?" I stuttered. "Vivisection." The doctor answered. If there was any food in my stomach, it would've been gone by now. "No, just kill me then. Please." I cried weakly and pulled at the restraints.

They laughed. The doctor began to mark my skin with a blue pen. He discussed every procedure that he was going to go through as he brought the pen down. He finished and reached out for something above my head. I saw it shine in the harsh industrial light. Before the scalpel reached my skin, there was an explosion. It caused the doctor's hands to jump. The scalpel was sliced on my side. Seconds later, the door burst open and bullets flew.

Everyone collapsed to the floor. I watched as the DEO Alpha team rushed in.

One agent ran to my side. She pulled off the helmet and pulled down the mask. "Oh god, what did they do to you?" Alex asked. I realized that I was shaking violently as she placed a hand on me. I shook my head. "Kara, please. Tell me." She pleaded quietly. "Help Barry. He's shot. She shot him." I stammered weakly.

Alex froze for a second. J'onn rushed over to my side. "Alex, stay here with Supergirl. Make sure she stays awake. I'll go get Mr. Allen." J'onn stated and a few agents followed him. I heard someone gurgling and I glanced over my shoulder. Lillian was still alive. She smiled cruelly at me.

Her teeth were covered in blood and it ran down her chin. "You don't know what hell is like Supergirl. But when you do, I hope that it is merciless and cruel. I hope it draws out your death as painfully and as slowly as possible." She choked out. "F-fuck you." I faltered. Alex rushed over to her side and knocked her out.

Alex called a few agents to take away Lillian so that they could question and charge her. I bit my lip as pain rushed through my body. I tasted blood. Alex made her way back to me.

"Where are the keys to get you off this table?" She asked. "I think the doctor had them." I answered. Alex rummaged through his pockets, but found nothing. She searched everyone else in the room, but found nothing. She started to get more upset as she searched.

I laid my head back down on the table and closed my eyes. "Keep your eyes open." She commanded. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just exhausted and glad it's over." I stated softly. "I know that, but it makes me feel better to see you awake. You don't look good and it's making me think of CatCo."

I opened my eyes and watched as she returned to my side. "Where are those damn keys?" I heard her murmur under her breath. J'onn returned a few minutes later. "Why isn't she off the table yet?" He asked Alex. "I can't find the keys to open the metal locks." J'onn grunted and snapped the metal restraints off my limbs.

I went to push myself off the table, but my body was weaker than expected and I couldn't hold myself up. Alex grabbed my waist and helped me stay up.

The world spun for a second. "Alex- Jeremiah is here. I saw him." I felt her stiffen. "I'll find him after I get you to the DEO med bay." I pushed her away. "No, go find him now."

"I waited 12 years, I can wait a bit longer."

"Alex, Jeremiah is alive. He's somewhere near us. You've waited long enough. Go find your dad."

She stared into my eyes. "Go Alex, I'll be okay." I knew she wanted to go, but she also wanted to stay with me. "Go Alex and take Alpha team with you. I got her." J'onn stated. Alex glanced at me before taking off. I looked back to J'onn. "Did you get Barry?" I asked. He nodded his head. "He was still conscious when I got to him. He was asking about you before I put him in the helicopter. Come on, you need to get back to the DEO." I didn't move. "Supergirl?" He looked confused.

"They have Barry's speed. And other information on Kryptonians. I can't let them have that. It could mean destruction, especially in the hands of Cadmus."

"It's okay. We already took care of that. We're shutting Cadmus down for good. The President knew about our operation. We aren't the only ones here." I looked over his shoulder and saw other agents and officers combing the cells and halls. A few of them were watching J'onn and I. I swallowed and nodded. "Lead the way."


	16. Chapter 16

"Can you walk?"

"I think so."

He started to walk and I followed him. We passed by the room that held Barry and me. My head was pounding and I could feel my pulse throughout my entire body. "J'onn-" I warned. I grasped for anything to steady me, but all I caught was air.

Before I hit the ground, I felt his arms wrap around me. He pulled me up into his arms. "Stay awake Supergirl, just until we get to the DEO." He stated. I clenched my jaw and tried to keep my eyes open. I could feel him start to pick up his pace. My eyes felt like a million pounds and I couldn't keep them open anymore.

I regained consciousness under the lamps of the solar bed. I could feel the rays clashing down on my skin. I felt more exposed to the lights than usual. I shielded my eyes from the bright lamps and noticed I was only wearing a sports bra and some boxers with my crest on it. "What the hell?" I grimaced slightly and held my side. I glanced down to it. There were bandages covering the entire upper section of my side. I laid my head back down and sighed.

I listened to the buzzing of the lights and the machines kicking on. I closed my eyes and tried to not pay attention to the light shining down on my eyelids.

Unwanted flashbacks began to run through my mind. From all the beatings and almost vivisection. I thought to the doctor's face and how General Lane seemed excited to see me cut open while I was still alive. Oh god, General Lane was dead. How was Lucy taking it? Did she know?

I shivered on the solar bed and allowed a few tears to slip away. _"_ _Rao, forgive me. Forgive me for what I have caused others to do and take to save me. Give me strength to endure what is to come, and to protect my loved ones. Your will be done._ _"_

 _"_ Rao's will be done." Someone added softly in English. Alex entered. "How did you-" With a sad smile, Alex walked to me. "You taught me, remember? I mean, I may not be fluent, but I know when you pray."

I pushed the panel on the solar bed upward and I sat up. "Whoa, take it easy Kara. You've been out for a few hours." I rubbed my eyes.

"Great, just what I need." I sighed. Alex grabbed my hand. "It's okay Kara." I pulled my hand away from hers. "No, it's not Alex. I've been failing National City, the DEO, everything. Maybe I should stop trying to be the hero for now." She shook her head.

"No, you can't stop now Kara. This is your life. This is what you were meant for. We're all looking up to you because you're so strong. Especially because of all the things you've gone through in your life." I shrugged.

Alex's face turned serious. "I know you don't want to hear it, but Lillian's about to be questioned soon so if-"

Something snapped in my mind. It was electrifying and terrifying, because what I felt was not human; it was twisted and distorted and it was something strong. It burned so bad like fire lacing my veins and creeping up my spine, but all I could feel was desire; desire to _hate_. I was intoxicated with the emotion I had no intention of ever feeling. The acidity of it was residing in my stomach waiting to be spat out of my mouth in foul and vulgar words I would never say.

And I wasn't going to say them, I was going to scream them with every ounce of breath that dwelled in my lungs.

I cut her off. "No, I _hate_ her. I don't care what is done to that bitch. As long as I don't see her ever fucking again. Because if I do, I can't assure her safety." I spat venomously. I didn't realize that my whole body was tense until I released the heavy breath I was holding. All the sensation of rage and anger left my body with that one breath. I felt utterly exhausted after my outburst.

Alex cautiously placed her hand on my shoulder. "What did she do?" She asked, with her voice full of concern. I clenched my jaw. "I really don't want to talk about it right now." I stated softly. I slowly met her eyes. "I'm sorry Alex, I didn't mean to say that in front of you." She shook her head. "It's okay Kara, you needed to let your emotions out before they overflow inside of you." She rubbed my shoulder soothingly.

We sat in silence for a while. I looked down at my shorts. "What's the deal with these? And what am I wearing?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. She gave me a small smile. "I thought that the more exposed your skin was, the more likely you are to heal and reabsorb the radiation. You were cut off from sunlight for a long time. And were exposed to a lot of kryptonite. I thought you should soak up as much sun as you could. And the shorts, that wasn't my choice. Okay maybe it was. They were the first pair that I saw. I just needed to get something light and thin enough." She answered. "So, you went for my House's crest on boxers? Real classy."

She shrugged. "It was either that or Batman's symbol." We laughed. "The last thing he needs is more things to add to his ego." We stayed in a happy silence for a while.

I studied Alex's face for a few minutes. Something seemed different. I couldn't place it. "How is Barry?" I asked finally. "You can see for yourself." A new voice stated.

Barry walked into the room slowly. He looked a bit pale, but otherwise okay. " _Barry_." I breathed and tried to rush to his side as quickly as I could, given my condition. He grabbed onto me and held me protectively. He placed his head in the crook of my neck and took a breath. I blushed as I remembered what I was wearing. Barry released me slowly, but still stayed close by while holding my hands.

"God Kara, you had me scared to death. I could hear you scream through those halls. I tried so hard to get out of that cell. To get to you."

"Was that why your knuckles were cracked and your meta carpals almost shattered?" Alex interrupted. Barry nodded. "I couldn't do anything to help you." His voice cracked with sorrow. "You went quiet for a while after that and I thought the worst. Then they would drag you into the room and throw you back into the cell. I tried to get you to respond in any way. I couldn't do anything Kara, I'm so sorry." He bowed his head.

I grabbed his chin gently. "You have _nothing_ to be sorry for, Barry. If anything-" It was Alex's turn to cut me off. "Don't you dare say it was your fault." I clenched my jaw and turned halfway to her. "Cadmus only had Barry because they wanted me." I stated. "How did they get you, Kara? Did they attack you?" She asked. I shook my head. "No, they didn't." I crossed my arms. I made sure Alex knew to not ask about it again as I glared at her. They both didn't say anything, but I could see the horror on Alex's face. She knew I went to them.

I turned back to Barry. "Did you get your speed back?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah, I got it a few days ago, but my body is still trying to recover fully." I pulled his collar of his shirt to get a quick kiss. "Don't ever scare me like that again." I stated. He smiled. "If you can promise the same." I nodded.

Barry left Alex and I alone again and I laid back down on the solar bed. I felt exhausted, but I still wanted to be awake. "How's Jeremiah?" I asked. A small smile ran across her face. "He's doing fine. Hamilton did some tests on him, and they all came back clean. They were making him be the science to back up their 'actions'."

I raised an eyebrow. "They did nothing? Then why did he continue to work with Cadmus?" Her smile faded. "Cadmus threatened to kill us if he didn't. They had constant evidence that they knew where we were and how they would kill us."

I swallowed thickly. "That's great that he is okay. Does Eliza know that we found him?" I asked. She nodded. "Yeah she's here too." I furrowed my eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?"

"What are you still doing in here? Go be with your family. It's the first time you've have been a whole since Jeremiah left."

An annoyed look crossed her features. "I am with my family." I sighed. "I'm going to be laying here for a while Alex. I might even go back to sleep. Go be with Jeremiah and Eliza, please." I stated. She rolled her eyes but stayed put. I closed my eyes and waited.

About 10 minutes passed and Alex stayed there, even though we didn't speak. I knew that she wanted to be with her parents. She sighed and I heard her stand up.

Alex walked a few feet before stopping. "You are my sister; you are a part of this family. I love you Kara. Get some actual sleep and don't pretend." She stated before leaving.

I rolled over on my side and tried to fall asleep. I just stayed there under the panels, but nothing happened. I rolled back onto my back hoping that I could fall asleep sooner rather than later.

I woke up and everything seemed so loud, even my own heartbeat. I groaned and tried to control it. I suddenly heard Alex talking to someone.

"That scared me. Kara doesn't hate anyone, but the ice in her voice made me realize that even the biggest hearts can be scarred. When she spoke like that, it was terrifying. The idea of Kara's light and personality being destroyed like that, I can't image what actually when on at Cadmus. She won't talk to us about it. There is no other thought that terrifies me more. If my sister, sweet innocent sister, could be corrupted by hatred, what hope was there for the rest of us?"

She sounded like she was about to cry, exactly like she did when she confronted me in my apartment when I was under the influence of the red kryptonite. I bit back my tears and continued to listen.

"Kara is a strong woman, Alex, but there are some things that will try to overpower her. I know that it will try and bring her down, but Kara will always push back through this. Her heart is so strong, she has been so strong through her life, but sometimes, she deserves to let some of it go." Eliza stated. "She was so brave. And she had a few choice words along with that. She wouldn't let Lillian take her down, and not even show it to her. She tried to stay strong for Barry too."

A voice snapped me out of my spying. "Listening in on the latest gossip?" J'onn asked. I jumped slightly. "Ah, uh no. Just testing out to see if my powers were working." I lied quickly, but I knew he saw through it. He sat down by my side. "I have some questions for you Kara." He stated. "Okay." I said hesitantly.

"We were quite lucky to find you and Barry. And the only reason is that we had a tracker. In you. No one knew about it, not Alex, or me, or Winn. But somehow Dr. Hamilton did. Care to explain?" I looked down to my hands. "I asked Dr. Hamilton to give me a tracker." I explained. "Why? They aren't necessary. We had one in your suit."

I sighed and looked him in the eyes. "I was going to turn myself over to Cadmus." He crossed his arms. "Why would you do that after we discussed that it was out of the question?"

I paused for a second. "Because I feel like I've not been belonging here much anymore. I wanted to get Jeremiah back because I know that I've been tearing apart the Danvers family far too long. I owed it to them." Sympathy was written on his face. "I understand what you mean Kara. But you must realize something. You are a part of the Danvers, and there is never debt with family. They have taken you in and treated you like their own. Why would you risk it?"

I shrugged. "I felt like I needed to do it. It was my obligation to get Jeremiah away from the clutches of Cadmus and maybe try and stop what they have been doing to all aliens." I answered. "Your overall morality is good, but you must consider what would have happened if you were seriously hurt or if we didn't know where to find you. How it would've impacted those you care about and who also care about you."

"I was going to tell Jeremiah to contact the DEO and get Hamilton to tell you or Alex about the tracker."

He shook his head and sighed. "That's not the point Kara,. What would've happened if we were too late?" He swallowed thickly. "Never do anything like this again. We must stick together and trust each other's judgement if we want to succeed. Luckily we were able to this time." J'onn stood up and made his way to the door. "I'm glad you're okay, Kara." He stated before walking through the door.

I reached down to grab my mother's necklace, but it was gone. I didn't have it here.

I clenched my jaw and stood up. My legs wobbled for a second, but they regained their strength. I found some clothes in a cabinet in the med bay and I threw them on. I walked down the oddly empty halls of the DEO without encountering anyone. I made my way down to the prisoner lock ups.

The door opened and I saw her. Anger started to bubble up, but I tried to suppress it. Lillian looked up as the door opened and her eyes landed on me. She smiled. "Hello Supergirl. Came to visit me? I'm so honored." She stated sarcastically.

"Where is my suit? Where is my necklace?" I asked. Her smile turned cruel. "Your suit was either put in the trash or used as a rag to mop up your blood after our little talk and as for your necklace, well, I don't believe you will be getting that back." She answered. I tightened my fists, but tried to not let my anger show. "Where is my necklace?" I repeated. She looked away from me. "I don't think that you deserve something so pure. It was expertly crafted, you know. Beautiful. But something that pure and genuine doesn't deserve to be on your filthy alien body." She spat.

That was the breaking point of my patience. At that moment, I was blinded by my rage which tasted bitter, but satisfying. I opened the cell door and reached out to grab her. Panic and fear raced across her face. I went to punch her in the face. When my fist came into contact, she wailed in pain. I pinned her against the cell wall by her neck. I tried to break away from my rage, it came back to me even stronger. I went to punch her again, but I stopped my fist in midair. Blood leaked from her nose.

I wanted to continue, but something inside of me wouldn't let me. I saw my necklace was around her neck. I ripped it off her and stood up. I began to walk away. She was laughing until she coughed. "You just proved my point Supergirl. You deserve to be locked up. You're a danger to all humans. Including those traitors, the ones you call family." I stopped walking and she went silent.

I looked over my shoulder at her. "You're lucky Lillian, I let you off easy. That was payback for everything you did to me at Cadmus. Enjoy your stay." I snapped and left the cell.

I walked out of the room and Alex was standing at the computer that was monitoring the cell. She looked up to me. "Kara, what did you do?" She asked.

Guilt rushed through my body. "I don't know. I-I went to talk with her, but she said something and I snapped." I answered in a small voice. She grabbed me in a hug. "It's okay Kara. You went through something extremely traumatic." I saw Lucy walking by in the background. "Oh god, Lucy. How is she doing?" Alex pulled away from the hug. "Not too good. But she understands why, Kara. She doesn't blame you."

J'onn walked by us. "Supergirl, Alex, you two are needed. We need to discuss what happened at Cadmus." He stated. "Right now?" Alex asked and he nodded. We followed him to an interrogation room.

I sat down at a chair on the other side of the table. J'onn, Jeremiah, Alex, Lucy, and Barry were in the room with me. I could feel all their eyes on me.

Barry sat by my side. "Kara, we know that this will be a hard topic for you and Barry to talk about, but please get through it." J'onn stated. I nodded.

I started to retell everything that happened at Cadmus. How Lillian made me lose my powers otherwise she would kill Barry. I told them how painful it was as they continuously beat me up. The injections of kryptonite to keep me powerless. My voice got shaky and nervous and Barry grabbed my hand. He squeezed it gently. I told them about how Barry was fairing as he started to lose more and more blood. Confusion was on his face as I filled in the blank spots in his memory as he waned to and from unconsciousness a few times.

Finally, I got to the part where I was strapped down and was about to be vivisected.

"They strapped me down and I was surrounded again. This time, it was a few guards, Lillian, a doctor and General Lane. I asked them what they were about to do and I was told that they were going to-" I couldn't continue. I closed my eyes and took in a breath. Barry squeezed my hand again. "It's okay Kara, you're safe." He whispered softly. I nodded and opened my eyes. "They were going to perform a vivisection on me. The doctor was about to cut me open when the DEO came bursting in." I explained.

Silence held the room. Everyone stared at me. I was breathing hard. I looked up to Lucy. "I'm so sorry Lucy, about your dad. I'm so sorry." I whispered. She shook her head with tears in her eyes. "It's okay Kara. He was a monster. He worked with Cadmus and I didn't know about it. He treated you terribly after the red kryptonite incident. You didn't deserve that, and you definitely didn't deserve this." She stated. I shook my head. "One alien isn't worth five human lives; there's going to be a big scandal. Especially since he was a general. Rao, the president! She'll be furious. You should've just let me die at their hands." I stood up. "I need some air." I rushed out of the interrogation room quickly.

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. I had a really busy day and it didn't help that it was extremely hot. Like 108*F hot, which is I think 42*C for my non American readers (what's up my metric system people!?) Any way, it's supposed to only get worse tomorrow.** ** _Hurray_** ***cough cough* sarcasm *cough* I'll most likely post again tomorrow, which is in 20 minutes. Haha, but seriously, probably later in the day. I guess I'll see you all in the next chapter! ~Raya Kor-El**


	17. Chapter 17

I walked to the exit of the DEO. I pushed through the door and saw the night sky. I went outside and sat away from any light. I looked up to the skies. "Kara? Are you okay?" Barry asked softly as he kneeled by me. "Yeah." I nodded as I wiped up a stray tear. "Why are you crying?"

"I thought that I would never see the stars again. They're beautiful."

He held me in a hug. "I told you that we would get out of there and we did." He sat down completely. "Kara, I'm sorry that this happened. No one deserved this. Especially not you. And I'm so sorry that I couldn't be there to stop them from torturing you."

I smiled sadly at him. "There was nothing you could've done Barry, not while you were shot. I'm sorry I sucked you in all of this. My Earth can be chaotic." There was a faint smile on his lips.

"Trust me, your Earth isn't as chaotic as mine is right now. I have no clue what Shade is doing there."

I sighed. "Don't worry Barry, we'll figure it out together. We can take Shade down and then you can go back to your Earth." We both realized the meaning behind my statement. We sat in silence for a few minutes. "After this is all done, you need to go back to your Earth, Barry, they need you."

He bowed his head. "I don't think I can. Kara, I just can't leave you." I held his hand. "I know that you want to be with me, but your Earth can't suffer just because of me. They need you, Scarlet Speedster." I joked lightly. He smiled for a second before he looked into my eyes. "But I need you Kara."

"I need you too Barry."

We leaned into a small kiss. I kept my eyes closed after we pulled away from each other. I took in a deep breath and sighed. "It feels so good to be free." I opened my eyes up and I saw Barry standing up. He offered his hand. "Do you want to go back in and finish your report?" He asked. I took his hand and we walked back inside.

Everyone in the room seemed a bit unsettled, but as I sat back down, they looked reassured. "Are you okay to continue?" J'onn asked. I nodded and finished telling them about our time in Cadmus.

As I finished, Winn rushed into the room. "What is it, Agent Schott?" Lucy asked. "I found a way to access all of Cadmus' security footage. I have everything." He stated out of breath. "This changes everything. We now have multiple credible accounts of what went on in the dark and what Lillian Luthor had to do behind it all. Good work." J'onn said.

Winn gave a halfhearted smile. "Thanks, but the footage there isn't pretty. At all. I wanted to throw up after watching only a few minutes on what happened." His eyes landed on me and they were filled with pity. I couldn't hold his gaze any longer and I looked away. I glanced back to Lucy. "Are we done here?" I asked impatiently.

She was about to answer, but Jeremiah cut her off. "Yeah, we are. Kara, you can go home." I could tell that he sensed that I had enough with this briefing. "I'll take you back to your apartment." Barry offered. "No, Dr. Hamilton wants her to stay another night for observation." Alex stated, but she didn't seem happy about it. "If I could, I would take her back too, but it was Dr. Hamilton's orders."

I sighed. "That's fine. I get it, especially after what happened. But can I sleep somewhere else. There is too much medical equipment where I am now." I looked around to J'onn and Lucy for an answer. "I'm afraid that you can't Kara; if Dr. Hamilton wants to keep you for medical purposes, you have to stay in the med bay." J'onn explained. Barry grabbed my hand. "I'll stay with you then Kara."

I pulled my hand away slowly. "I can't do that to you Barry, that wouldn't be fair." He smiled sadly at me. "It's not fair that you have to stay here. I want to keep you feeling comfortable. I won't take no for an answer."

"Thank you, Bar."

"Anytime Kara."

We walked back to the med bay where Dr. Hamilton was waiting. She had a soft smile on her face. "Hello Kara. How are you feeling?"

"Uneasy."

"I understand that. There is something that I need you to know. You are not at Cadmus. You are not a prisoner here. You are not going to be strapped down. You are not going to be experimented on. You are safe here. If anything makes you uncomfortable, let me know right away. Okay? I know that I have been hard on you in the past, but that is because I cared about your recovery and wellbeing."

I released a breath. "Thank you, Dr. Hamilton. That makes me feel better." She nodded and escorted me to a bed. I laid down on the bed and Barry sat next to me, but out of the way. Dr. Hamilton grabbed a few electrodes and attached them to my body. I could hear my nervous heartbeats as she approached me with a needle. I could only imagine that other twisted doctor standing over me. My heart started to go crazy. "You're safe Kara. I'm here." Barry soothed. His words brought me back to reality. I took a breath as the kryptonite infused needle pierced my skin.

A few hours later, I woke up from my sleep. Barry was asleep on the empty bed next to mine. I didn't see anyone else in the med bay. But I could hear screaming from somewhere else in the DEO. I followed it to another investigation room. I used my x-ray vision to see that J'onn, Alex, Lucy, and some female officer was watching the footage of me in Cadmus. The video changed to the part before I was rescued. I listened in.

 _"_ _I_ _'_ _ve been dreaming of this day ever since your cousin became Superman. We_ _'_ _ll know how you tick._ _"_ _General Lane purred._ _"_ _Wh-what are you going to do?_ _"_ _I stuttered._ _"_ _Vivisection._ _"_ _The doctor answered._ _"_ _No, just kill me then. Please._ _"_ _I heard myself plead desperately. They all laughed maliciously._

The doctor began to talk about the surgeries he wanted to perform on me. "God, turn it off please." Alex begged. "No Alex, we can't. Even though I completely trust her, we need to make sure her story and the videos match up." J'onn stated. The video continued to play and they started to watch the rest of the footage. Barry was up and reading.

He looked up to me as I walked back into the bay. "Are you okay? It looks like you've seen a ghost." I nodded slowly and laid back on my bed. "Yeah, I'm fine Barry." He stared at me for an extra second before I heard Alex marching down the hall. She went right passed the med bay and I knew exactly where she was headed. "I'll be right back." I rushed down the hallway after her. I caught her just before she entered the prisoner holding cells. "Alex, stop. You don't want to do this. I know exactly what you are thinking." I stated. She stopped with her hand hovering over the hand scanner and her back to me.

"You don't want to do this." I repeated. "I saw what that monster did to you." Alex's voice quivered. I shook my head. "That is in the past Alex. I'm okay. I'm alive and by Rao, I am healthy." She still stood there, contemplating her next actions. "You don't need to do this. It won't do anything. It won't change anything." She was still silent. "Look at me. _Please Lexi."_

Alex turned around slowly. Her eyes were red and puffy, tears were threatening to fall, and she had an angry and hurt expression on her face. As soon as she laid her eyes on me, all anger left her face.

Tears ran down her face as she rushed toward me. She grabbed me in a tight hug and buried her head in the crook of my neck. She started to sob quietly. I rubbed her back soothingly. "It's okay Alex." I whispered in her ear. After a few minutes, she pulled away from me. "How do you not want to go in there and completely beat the living hell out of her?" She asked in a small voice. "I honestly don't know. I know that deep down, I want to, but something inside of me wouldn't let me."

I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the door. "Come on Alex, I know that J'onn will probably be looking for you." She followed me. Before I went back into the med bay, Alex grabbed me in a brief hug. "Thank you, Kara, I don't know what I would've done to her, but I know that it wouldn't be good and that I would regret it. I'm so glad that you are okay." She stated before leaving.

Barry was watching me as I walked back through the door. "Is Alex okay?" I sat down. "Yeah, she saw the videos from Cadmus and she was a bit shaken. I had to talk with her."

He stared at me in silence. "How are you doing? I mean, I know that your sister is so strong and if she was shaken-" He trailed off for a second. "I mean, I heard what went on. I saw you after they dragged you back to the cells, but I don't know _how_ you are doing." He said. I didn't answer him right away. "I don't really know. I think I'm coping okay. I mean, I will never forget all that happened and I have a few scars to remember that experience by, but I am so relieved and grateful that I am out of there. And yet, there is so much anger and fear deep down that I can't express."

"Maybe you are still in denial and shock from the experience?" He offered. I shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. Maybe." I rested my head back down on the pillow. I heard Dr. Hamilton walk into the med bay. "Hello Kara, Barry. How are you feeling?" She asked. "Fine." I answered shortly. Dr. Hamilton raised her eyebrows in confusion. I saw Barry motion something to her. She gave a quick nod.

She smiled at me. "Well, it seems that you are able to go back to your apartment. I didn't find anything any unknown substances." She pulled out the IV line and turned off the machines.

Barry and I walked out of the med bay and into the control room. As we walked through, the agents fell into a hushed tone as they stared at us. J'onn and Lucy came to our rescue. "Don't you all have jobs to do?" J'onn's voice boomed. They all went back to their work. As they looked at me, their eyes held something I couldn't put my finger on. "What did Dr. Hamilton say?" Lucy asked. "I'm good to leave."

"That's great."

I stayed silent and they looked to Barry. "I'll make sure that she gets back to her apartment okay." J'onn nodded. "Sounds good."

Barry turned to me. "How do you want to get there?" I felt tired suddenly. I looked away from J'onn and Lucy. "I don't feel like flying right now." I answered. "You can take a DEO car. Agent Vasquez will be willing to take you." J'onn stated and Vasquez came walking over.

20 minutes later, we were heading back to the city. I watched silently as the buildings got taller and the roads became more populated. We arrived at my apartment and I collapsed face down on my couch.

I sighed happily. Barry laughed and sat down by my feet. "It feels so good to be back here." He placed his hand on my calf. "I don't doubt it." I sat up so Barry had more space on the couch. "Why don't you go back to your apartment? I take it that you haven't been there since Cadmus either."

He shook his head. "Actually, I was there when you were still unconscious. I needed to go back and tell Iris and the others on how you were." He answered. "Besides, I don't want to leave you right now. I just got you back."

I yawned. "I wasn't kicking you out, I was just offering." I stated tiredly. He smiled at me. "I know that. But why don't you go sleep? You look tired." I shook my head. "No, I want to be with you."

"I'll stay here with you, but you can still sleep."

I stood up slowly. "I can't say no to that." He chuckled and followed me to my bed. I laid down and pulled a blanket over me. Barry laid down, but he made sure that he was far enough away.

I rolled over to face him. "You don't have to stay on the edge, Barry." I stated.

He blushed lightly. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." I rolled my eyes. "Please, we're both adults and you saw me in boxers and a sports bra after I woke up. And we're just sleeping." He scooted closer to me and placed his arm over my stomach. "Better?" I asked. He closed his eyes and smiled softly. "Much more comfortable." He said in a content voice.

A few days later, I decided to go back to CatCo. I needed something normal in my life. And I knew that it would be good for me if I had something to distract me from the events at Cadmus.

I was getting ready when Barry and Iris walked in. "Kara, are you sure you want to do this so soon? It's okay if you want to give it a few more days." Barry stated. I shook my head and pulled on my flats. "No, I need a sense of normalcy in my life right now. Something to keep me grounded."

Iris and Barry exchanged a glance. "You don't need to rush back into this." Iris stated. "I'm not. I'm okay. Trust me." They both looked at each other again, but didn't say anything else.

Iris and I made it to the building and I made it back into my office. I sat down at my chair and I saw the paper stacked up near my computer. I sighed and started to work on the forms and stories.

A cold feeling rushed over my spine and I took a breath. I closed my eyes for a second and tried to focus. The coldness disappeared, but I noticed that my hand was shaking. I continued to work while trying to not pay attention to whatever was brewing in my body.

Miss Grant's new assistant came running into my office with papers in her hand. "Miss Grant wants you in her office, M-Miss Danvers."

I clenched my shaking fist under my desk and smiled at her. "Okay, I'll be there in a second." She turned around to run back to her desk. "Oh, and Jess? You can just call me Kara." Jess smiled at me before running off. I stood up slowly, making sure that I was okay to stand, before making my way to Miss Grant's office.

I walked through the doors. "Jess told me that you wanted to see me?" I asked weakly. Miss Grant looked up from her glasses. "Close the door and sit." I followed her command and then sat down.

Once the door was closed, she lost her confident boss attitude and gained her protective motherly persona. She walked over to me, but stood standing. "Are you okay? The little hobbit told me what happened to you and the Flash. About Lillian Luthor and the um- _procedures_."

My stomach turned into knots and I tried to hide my shaking hand. "I-" I tried to answer but my words were lost. I glanced down and saw that my leg was bouncing uncontrollably. My chest felt tight and I closed my eyes. "I need to talk to Alex."

Tears threatened my eyes as they tingled. I bit my lip and tried to hold it together. I don't know why everything was suddenly sinking in, but I knew I just needed to hear Alex's voice. I didn't know how to stop this feeling. I opened my eyes and I saw Miss Grant watching me.

Concern was radiating off her body. She put down her coffee and stepped to me. "Kara?" She asked gently. "C-can I borrow your phone? I left mine over-"

Miss Grant rushed over to her desk and grabbed her phone. She sat down next to me and I grabbed the phone from her hands. I quickly dialed Alex's number. _Hello?_ "Alex." _Hey Kara, what_ _'_ _s going on?_ "Alex, something is wrong. I'm going to freak out." _Okay, that_ _'_ _s normal. If you freak out, that_ _'_ _s okay. It happens. What_ _'_ _s wrong?_ "I thought I was okay. But I was wrong. It's all coming down and I can't-I can't…" I swallowed a sob and bit my lip.

 _Hey, hey, it_ _'_ _s alright. Just keep breathing slowly. I_ _'_ _m already on my way. Is there anything I can do now to help you?_ "No, I don't think so. Just get here quick _._ _"_ _Don_ _'_ _t worry baby girl, I_ _'_ _ll be there soon. Are you with anyone?_ "Yeah, I'm in Miss Grant's office." _Okay good, stay there. I_ _'_ _m almost there._ I hung up and looked to Miss Grant. "She's coming." I answered her unasked question.

The room swayed and I shook my head to clear it. Miss Grant grabbed my arm and led me outside. I sat down on a large chair and closed my eyes. I took slow deep breaths. I heard footsteps running a few minutes later. Alex sat down by my other side and held my hand in both of hers.

I was taking in short, quick breaths. "Kara, I need you to focus." I heard her say, but I didn't pay attention. There were flashes of light in my mind. I clenched my eyes shut as I tried to block out the images that ran through my head. I saw the lights hanging over my head at Cadmus. I saw Lillian's twisted smile as she stared down at me. I felt the pain from the beatings. I saw Barry's face as he bled out. I felt his dried blood on my hands.

Hands were placed on the sides of my face. "Kara!" Alex shouted. She broke me out of my trance. I blinked a few times as the images faded, but I was still shaken. "Focus on my heartbeat. Take deep breaths. Listen to my heart." She stated softly. I took a large breath and listened to Alex's steady and strong heartbeat. All images slowly disappeared as I continued to focus.

I bit my lip. "Alex?" I asked. She smiled at me. "Thank God. Are you okay?" I nodded. "I think so." Alex turned to Miss Grant. "I'm going to take her." She stated. "Please do. Let me know how she is later." I stood up and followed her out of Miss Grant's office. Alex and I went back to my apartment without saying another word.

I looked at Alex questioningly. "What?" She asked. "Why didn't you take me back to the DEO? Didn't Hamilton order you to take me back there if anything happened?" I asked.

Alex sighed. "She did, but I thought that going back to the DEO and staying in med bay wouldn't help you at all. So instead, I'm going to be here with you. Your body was going through shock and the last thing you should be around is medical gear. I thought that it should be a Homeland binge with ice cream, pot stickers, and pizza. How does that sound?"

I smiled. "That sounds great." I ran off to my room and pulled on some pajama bottoms and I grabbed an extra pair for Alex. I threw them at her and it was a direct hit to her face. "Bullseye." I joked and sat down on the couch. She laughed gently and pulled them on. We laid close to each other. Alex ordered the pizza and pot stickers and we stayed there until the early morning.

 **Hey guys! I first want to give a quick thank you to the Guests! I wish you had profiles so I could properly say thank you, but I guess that this will have to do. So thank you for those wonderful reviews! It means a lot to me!**

 **So I know that you must think I'm crazy by how much I update, but I'm planning to post another chapter soon. It's just way too hot where I live to do anything but be on the internet, but what else is new? Haha I'm kidding.**

 **One thing that came to my mind while writing this chapter was that there would be no way that Kara could come out of Cadmus without a little PTSD or something similar to it from her experience. I mean, that's terrifying. But she's lucky enough to have Alex and the others by her side. Check back soon and I'll have chapter 18 up. ~Raya Kor-El**


	18. Chapter 18

We were woken up early the next morning by Alex's phone going off. She groaned and answered it. "Hello?" She answered it groggily. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep as Alex continued to talk. She got up and pulled on her shoes. "Who was that?" I asked.

She stayed silent for a second while she pulled on her other shoe. "Alex?" I repeated. Alex sighed. "It was J'onn. He said that there is a large congregation of a species called Zanians out in the desert. He also said that Winn has found a large amount of radiation where they are. J'onn wants me to be with the Alpha team to see what they are up to." She explained.

"When do we leave?" I asked. "We? No, Kara, you are staying here. I don't want you to get hurt. You've been hurt too much in the past few months." I crossed my arms. "I know about Zanians, I know their weaknesses. I'm your best advantage. Besides, you can get hurt too Alex. You're not invincible." Alex turned around quickly and was face to face with me.

"Well you are! And I almost lost you. You are staying here."

I stayed in silence as I watched Alex round up the rest of her gear and ran out of my apartment. I sat down on my couch and waited for something to happen. About 20 minutes passed before I picked up my phone.

 _Hello?_ "Hey Winn." _Kara! Hey, I haven_ _'_ _t seen you in a while._ "Yeah I know. I'm really sorry about that. We'll hang out soon okay?" _Ooh awesome! Game night, your place. And I'm on Alex's team!_ "Okay it's a deal!" _Yes! So, what's up?_ "Can you tell me where that group of Zanians are?"

He hesitated for a second. "Please Winn. I'm their best chance at surviving. I know this species, and how to beat them." _Fine, give me a moment._ "Thanks Winn. You're the best." _If J_ _'_ _onn finds out about this, I_ _'_ _m going to say that you forced me to tell you_.

He sent me the coordinates where Alex and Alpha team was headed. I pulled on a black athletic long sleeve and black athletic pants. I pulled on a black jacket and shoes before taking off into the sky.

I could see the smoke from miles away. I smelled the burning rubber from the DEO's cars. The flames were reaching the sky as they ate at the inside of the cars and their engines. Bodies of the DEO agents were everywhere. I scanned for any signs of life, but I found nothing. I used my freeze breath to put out the fires. I reached down and grabbed one of the discarded radios. I clipped it onto my belt as I continued to scan for life.

Suddenly, the Zanians came out of the ground. They hissed and growled as soon as they laid their eyes on me. One of the larger Zanians spat acid at me while the other tried to tackle me. I quickly fought my way through the group of Zanians. The remaining conscious Zanians were smart enough to surrender as they saw their comrades on the ground, knocked out.

I looked around the small group. _"_ _Can anyone understand me?_ _"_ I asked in Kryptonian. " _A Kryptonian? How are you still alive?_ _"_

One of the Zanians asked. " _I survived Krypton_ _'_ _s blast. What are you doing on Earth? Why did you kill these innocent humans?_ _"_

Another Zanian decided to answer. " _We were attacked by some being from another universe, or galaxy. We ran from our planet. We crash landed here and have been trying to survive. These humans, as you call them, were hostile. They threatened us._ _"_ I sighed. " _Humans tend to be hostile at things they do not know. They thought that you were going to attack the city that is nearby._ _"_

I saw regret cross their group. My stomach dropped as a question popped into my head. " _Did any humans make it? Are any alive?_ _"_

The first Zanian shook its humanoid head. " _No, not that we know of. We are terribly sorry, Kryptonian. We only fought back to save ourselves._ _"_ My heart clenched painfully and I lost my breath. " _I u-understand, but I do not condone this. I know what it is like to try and preserve your kind, but you are on Earth now. Humans dominate this planet. You must be careful._ _"_ They bowed their heads. " _We understand. Thank you Kryptonian._ _"_

I looked at their group, there was no way that they could blend in; they looked too alien. " _Is there any way for you to blend in?_ _"_

The second one nodded its head before the entire group shifted into human-like beings. " _You must learn to live like the humans to survive. There is a small section of town that is dominated by aliens in hiding. You should be safe there. But if you cause any trouble, I will be the first to know._ _"_ I pointed them in the direction of National City. They all started to walk off, but one Zanian stayed behind. " _Thank you Kryptonian. We shall forever be in your debt. What is your name?_ _"_ I paused before answering. " _My name is Kara._ _"_

The last Zanian ran off to join its group. I turned back to the fallen to find Alex's body. I wearily searched throughout the numerous bodies when I heard a faint heartbeat. My heart skipped a beat as I immediately recognized it as Alex's. I ran to her side and I saw blood pouring out of multiple wounds. "Oh Rao, Alex!" Her eyes were shut and she looked waxy and pale. I brushed the hair out of her face. I knew that she only had minutes until she bled out and we were too far away from the DEO for me to fly her there.

"Alex, hold on, I'm going to-to-" I trailed off. What could I do to save her? We were different species. No matter how much I hate her, Lillian's voice rang through my head. _That must mean that you_ _'_ _re humanistic under your alien physiology._ I've seen the comparisons between my blood and Alex's before. Besides the Kryptonian influences on my cells, they had the same overall structure. I could save her.

I ran off the cars to find a med kit. I found a slightly charred kit in the back of one of the cars. Time was precious now. I wrapped up all her wounds tightly. I listened to her heartbeat and it was still getting slower. She didn't have enough blood to sustain herself. I found 2 needles and a small tube. I took a deep breath and unleashed my heat vision like I did with red tornado. I fell to my knees, human. I attached the two needles to the tube. I sterilized them and then I stuck one into Alex's arm and the other into my own.

I sat next to Alex while my blood slowly made its way to her body. I prayed to Rao. _Rao, please let this work. Please let me save my sister. She is my light and I am hers. Let my blood help Alex. Your will be done._

I reached down to the radio. "J'onn? Winn? Are you there?" J'onn answered me. _Supergirl? What are you doing will Alpha team_ _'_ _s secure line?_ "I went to help. I knew the Zanians. Their weaknesses, where they were from." _Where is everyone?_ "They're dead. The Zanians killed them."

 _All of them?_ "No, Alex is barely alive. I made it here in time. I'm trying to save her." _What do you mean?_ "She was bleeding out. I wrapped up all her wounds, but it wasn't enough." _What are you doing?_ "I'm giving my blood to her. She wasn't going to make it if I flew her. J'onn, I can't lose her." _Kara._ "I know J'onn, but I'm not going to do nothing and let her die like this. I'm giving her a chance." _I_ _'_ _ll be there soon with a medical transport. Where are the Zanians?_ "Gone. I'll tell you later. Just hurry up and get here, please."

The line went quiet and I turned my attention back to Alex. I caressed her cheek softly. "Hold on Alex. J'onn is coming. Please hold on, I need you." Color started to come back to Alex's face. Hope rushed through my body.

I could feel the blood loss affecting me. In the distance, I could see the DEO helicopters. They landed near me about 5 minutes later. I picked Alex up and I got into the helicopter. J'onn jumped out of the other helicopter. "Make sure she survives. I need to gather up their bodies and clean up this mess before the media catches wind of this." He closed the door and the helicopter took flight. The field doctor hooked Alex up to a few machines and they unhooked my blood line.

They wrapped up my arm for good measure before tending back to Alex. About 20 minutes later, we made it to the DEO. Alex was rushed to the med bay and I ran after her. Dr. Hamilton immediately started to get to work. "She needs the sun." I called. I watched in the corner as she started to unbandage Alex and expose her to the lamps.

Dr. Hamilton looked at me. "Did you do this?" I nodded. "I had no other option if I wanted her to live." Dr. Hamilton took a sample of her blood and a sample of mine. The other nurses cleaned up the blood on Alex and Dr. Hamilton made me follow her. She placed the samples into small slides so that she could view the cells' structures.

"Incredible. It seems that Alex's blood fused with yours to quickly replicate. Her blood is essentially still human, but its ability to replicate and repair itself has tripled. I can't believe it." She said in shock. I made my way back to Alex's side a few hours later. I grabbed her hand and waited. All her wounds were gone. She still looked a bit pale, but nothing like she did before. I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to wander. A few hours later I heard Alex wake up. She gasped and then took in a deep breath.

I opened my eyes. "Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked. Alex looked at me and then down to her body. "What the hell happened?" I smiled shyly. "Well, we can't say that we're not blood related anymore." I joked. "Huh?"

"I found you in the desert. You were bleeding out and there was nothing else I could do. I found a med kit and I gave you my blood. Dr. Hamilton told me that your blood fused with mine and now it can replicate and repair itself quickly."

"How did you give me your blood?"

"Solar flare." Her eyes went wide. " _Really?_ You're human right now?" I nodded. "Thank you, Kara. I thought I was going to die out there. I was so scared." I rubbed her arm soothingly. "I will always be there for you." She frowned. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I was hoping that I got some of your powers too. I always wanted to fly by myself." I laughed. "Sorry, all you get is quick healing. Which is pretty handy." She smiled. "Yeah because you are the clumsiest person."

"Hey, Clark is pretty clumsy too."

"Not as much as you."

"Whatever. But if you want me to, I can take you on a flight when you're released." She nodded. "I'm going to hold you to that, but not before we finish what we started yesterday. Homeland won't finish itself, you know." Dr. Hamilton walked back into the med bay. "I assume that your sister has already told you the good news?" Alex smiled. "Yeah she did." Dr. Hamilton walked away smiling. "Good, then you are clear to the interrogation room. Directors Lane and J'onzz are waiting for you."

We made our way to the interrogation room. "It's good to see you up on your feet, Alex." Lucy stated. "Why are we here?" Alex asked. "We need to debrief you and your sister. We need to know what happened out in the desert." J'onn stated.

Alex quickly retold her side of the story. How Alpha team got there and the Zanians were yelling at them in an unknown language. The Zanians started to come closer with their long claws out and acid dripping from their mouths. The team took it as a threat as they got closer so they opened fire.

Alex recalled how one of the Zanians got a hold of her and tried to rip her apart. After that, she didn't remember anything. So, I picked up on the story how I arrived to see the carnage. I told them how I scanned for any signs of life and I found none. And then I told them about the Zanians emerging from the sand. I told them how I spoke to them in Kryptonian and cleared up the misunderstanding. Then I briefly went over how I saved Alex's life.

J'onn watched me. "You just let all the Zanians go that killed almost all of the Alpha team?" He asked hotly. "Well, killing them wouldn't bring them back, now would it?" I retorted. He glared at me. "No, but I would like to have the group responsible for murdering my team."

I clenched my jaw. "If I would have taken any other action, they could've went on a rampage. And I wouldn't have found Alex. If you think that I would gone after them instead of saving Alex, you're wrong. I will choose her every time over any aliens. She could've been dead if I choose any other action instead of what I did. Is that what you want?"

J'onn immediately ate his words. "No, I-that's not what I meant. You are right. If you did anything else, then Alex wouldn't be sitting with us right now." I stood up. "I think this briefing is over." I walked out of the interrogation room.

Alex ran after me. "Are you okay Kara?" I sighed. "Yeah. I just don't like it that J'onn made me seem like the one who was in the wrong."

I walked out of the DEO with Alex by my side. "Ready for a ride?" I asked. She smiled. "Of course, I love flying. It's so liberating." I laughed. "Tell me about it."

We flew back to my apartment. "Alex, I'll be right back." I called as I heard her get into my shower. I knocked on Barry's door. The door opened and everyone looked worried. "Is something wrong?" I asked. Cisco nodded and I noticed that Winn was here too. "A breach was opened on this Earth not long ago. Some aliens made it through. Winn and Cisco found out that it was from our Earth. That means that Shade is still there and our Earth is still intact." Barry stated.

Could it have been the Zanians? "No way." I breathed. "What?" Caitlin asked. "I think that I ran into those aliens. They were Zanians." That means there was a Krypton in Barry's universe. Who survived? I shook my head to clear those thoughts. "How do you know they were from our universe?" Cisco asked. "They were telling me that something attacked them on their planet. They ran and probably went through the breach. That's why they were shocked to see a Kryptonian."

I whispered the last part to myself. "Where did those aliens go? We need to talk with them." Barry asked. "I sent them to the alien district. I'll take you there."

Barry and I made our way to the alien district. I went in to see if I could find any Zanians. Barry followed by my side closely. I scanned the room, but I didn't find any sign of the Zanians. I found a booth and sat down. Barry sat on the other side. "What do we do now?" He asked. I shrugged. "I'm not sure." I looked over to the bar and noticed something weird. The officer that was with Lucy and Alex while they watched the Cadmus footage was here. I was about to approach her when I realized that I wasn't dressed up as Supergirl. It would immediately give away my identity.

I stood up anyway and walked over to the bar. I took a seat near her. "What can I get you?" The bartender asked. "Oh, um, I'll have the Tertian Rum." The bartender nodded and walked off. "I take it you like the strong drinks?" The officer asked. "Oh, uh." I stammered. "Because even for aliens that is a strong drink." She explained. "I'm not an alien." I lied easily.

"Oh, you're a human? Me too. I'm Maggie Sawyer." Maggie held out her hand. "Kara Danvers." I shook her hand. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Alex Danvers, would you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, we're sisters." She smiled. "Yeah, I thought so." The bartender came back with my drink. It was a vibrant blue, almost like it was glowing. I turned back to Maggie quickly. "I'm sorry, but how do you know my sister?" I asked. "We worked together not too long ago. On a case." She answered shortly. "Oh, okay."

We sat there in silence for a few seconds. I took a sip of my drink and I tried not to cough it out. "Man, that's strong." She laughed. "I told you." All humor dropped from her face. "Why did you come over to me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I saw you come in here with what I assume is your boyfriend. Why did you come over here to talk with a total stranger?"

I sighed. "I'm looking for some people here. New people. I'm guessing that if you are here, you must know about them." I stated. "You're looking for the Zanians?" She asked.

"Yes, they took something of my friend's when they landed here." I lied again. "Last time I heard they were in the western district." Maggie answered. I placed some money down on the counter and motioned to Barry. "Thank you, Maggie." I walked off.

Barry and I walked down to the western district. "Who was that?" He asked. "Maggie Sawyer, she worked with Alex before." There was a large explosion that cut Barry off. Smoke erupted from the building across the street. Barry and I jogged over to it. I used my x-ray vision to see what it was. "The Zanians. They're in there." Screams echoed in the street. Barry and I burst in. The flames licked at my skin, but did no harm. Barry stayed close by me as he tried to not get burned. I saw some Zanians cowering in the corner from the flames.

I used my breath and put out the flames. But for some reason, they burst back into life. I furrowed my eyebrows. " _Come on, get out of here! I can only hold the flames back for so long!_ _"_ I made a path for the Zanians to run through. "Follow them, Barry. Make sure they get out safe." I commanded. "What about you?" He asked. "I have to find the others."

I made my way through the inferno and into another part of the building. There were Zanian bodies everywhere. Their blood was sizzling as the fire neared them. I saw the fatal wounds on the heads of the fallen bodies. I checked the rest of the building, but didn't find anything else. I ran out of the building and down to the extremely small group of Zanians and Barry.

The Zanians looked to me for hopeful news. I dropped my head. " _I_ _'_ _m sorry. No one else survived._ _"_ One Zanian placed its hand on my shoulder. " _Thank you, Kara. We know that you did everything you could. But may I ask, why did you try and find us?_ _"_

" _I need information about the thing that attacked you and drove you from your planet. What was it? A human?_ _"_ It nodded. " _Yes, it was a human. It had black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. It had a funny voice. Not like yours or anyone else_ _'_ _s around here. The pronunciations were different. And there was something else odd about this human. It was surrounded by darkness. It could control the darkness. Pure evil radiated off it._ _"_ I looked at Barry for a second. He was completely dumbfounded by Kryptonian.

I looked back to the Zanians. " _Was it the thing that attacked you now?_ _"_ He nodded. " _Yes, it came back from a breach in the middle of the building. It used the shadow to kill the others. Then it set fire to our space. I don_ _'_ _t know why it wants us dead. We did nothing to it. We have never seen anything like this before._ _"_ I turned to Barry. "We need to get these Zanians to the DEO. They're being hunted by Shade. Or at least what I believe is Shade. They say that he has dark eyes, black hair, pale complexion, and what I assume as having an accent."

Barry's eyes widened. "That's him. That's Shade. He's here. He probably went to kill these aliens because they know about him." I grabbed my phone and called J'onn. _Supergirl?_ "I have those Zanians you wanted. They are being attacked by Shade. We need to protect them from him." _Where are you?_ "The western district of National City. You should see smoke coming from that area." _Why?_ "The building they were in just was burned down by Shade. He killed most of the Zanians." We'll be there soon.

About 30 minutes later, the Zanians were being transported to the DEO. My phone buzzed.

I glanced down and I noticed that I had at least 10 messages from Alex. "I totally forgot I left Alex at my apartment." I looked back to Barry. "Race you there?" I asked. He smiled. "Ready, set, go!" He took off running and I jumped into the sky. I landed through my window and he appeared a second later. "I win." I smiled at him. Alex rushed over to me. "Where the hell were you? And why do both of you smell like smoke?" I quickly told Alex about the encounter with the Zanians. "So, you believe that Shade is here on this Earth now?"

Barry scratched his neck. "I'm not sure 100% sure, but it's more than possible." Alex sat down. "Well, what are we going to do now? We can't let him take over this Earth too." Defeat crossed his face as he walked over to the door. "I don't know. But I need to tell the others what happened." Before he left my apartment, I grabbed him and gave him a short kiss. "Go take a shower." A small smile graced his lips.

"You too, you stink."

 **Ah yes! Shade finally shows up in Kara's universe. The fun is just getting started! One thing I found interesting was that I planned this story long before the season 2 of premier Supergirl and season 3 of the Flash, and I only just found out that Shade was a metahuman in episode 6. So if any of you were thinking that I was basing him of off the CW's Shade, I'm not. This Shade is directly from the DC comics. He is not a metahuman, but a man who was gifted with mystical powers to control the shadows. I just wanted to clarify that.**

 **So, yeah, that's it for this chapter and I'll see you guys in the next one! ~Raya Kor-El**


	19. Chapter 19

I quickly hopped into the shower and then I got dressed. I sat down my Alex's side as we started the marathon. "So, who is this Maggie Sawyer?" I asked.

She coughed on her drink and started to act oddly. "What?" She asked. "I saw her in the alien bar when I was looking for the Zanians. She recognized me and mentioned you."

"She's a friend I met. She is a detective officer. She helped track you down when you and Barry were gone." I smiled at her. "What?" She asked defensively. I shrugged. "Nothing. I didn't say anything." Alex narrowed her eyes at me. "But you gave me that look."

"What look?"

"Ugh, you're impossible.

I shrugged again. "I didn't say anything." Alex continued to watch me as I ate my pizza. I looked back at her. "Is there something else you want to say?" I asked. Alex stayed silent for a few more seconds before moving. She muted the tv and her shoulders dropped in defeat. "Okay, she's more than just a friend. We-we started dating while you were the coma. I met her at an alien bar while I was trying to search for any way to get you to wake up. She was there for me when I thought I would lose you. And I know that you're probably upset that I didn't tell you. I'm sorry Kara, I meant to tell you but-"

She met my eyes. "You're not upset?" I shook my head. "No, why would I be?" She shrugged. "Because I never told you? That I'm dating. A-and gay."

"Does she make you happy?"

"Yes."

"Then that makes me happy. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy." Alex smiled sheepishly at me. "Thanks, Kara." I nodded. "Of course, but does Eliza know?" She nodded. "Yeah, she met Maggie when you were out. She approves of Maggie." I smiled. "Good. You deserve someone, but if she does anything to hurt you-"

Alex laughed. "Don't worry, I think I can take care of myself." I laughed with her. "Yeah, I guess so. So, when were you going to introduce us?" Alex wrung her hands nervously. "Honestly, I didn't know how you would react, I was nervous about you knowing about us and meeting her."

"Well, I know about her now, so when will we be introduced formally?" Alex shrugged. "Whenever you want to, I guess." I took another bite of my pizza.

"How about we have a double date? You can get to know Barry more and I can get to know Maggie?" I suggested. "That actually sounds good. How about next weekend?" I nodded.

The week went by slowly. Winn and Cisco made me another Supergirl suit which was like the old one with a few minor adjustments. I got back into the routine of being Supergirl and working at CatCo again. Miss Grant was happy to see me at the office again. A few times I was at the DEO trying to help Winn, Cisco, and Caitlin with locating Shade. Of course, I wasn't in my Supergirl outfit and Maggie just happened to be there too. I had to hide out of sight while Maggie roamed around the DEO.

Finally, the weekend came and it was time for our double date. Alex decided to have it in my apartment because it was bigger than hers. Alex and Maggie showed up and we started to have dinner.

Barry and Alex were talking about tachyons and the science behind it all. Maggie's phone suddenly went off and Alex paused.

She turned to Maggie. "What is it?" Alex asked. "Alien attack downtown. All reinforcements needed." She stated.

Maggie then turned to me. "Isn't it time for you to- uh, suit up?" Maggie asked. I froze and gave Alex a panicked look. "What?" Maggie asked. "Wait, was that meant to be a secret?" She smiled for a second. "Because if it was, you may want to try a better disguise."

"How did you know?" Alex finally managed to ask. "Same build, same hair, same eyes, same voice." Maggie listed. "Follows you round like a puppy-" I cut her off. "Hey!"

She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, guard puppy. Plus, why would Kara be hanging out at the DEO if not because she was Supergirl? Also, she drinks alien only alcohol at the bar, which is kind of a giveaway."

She continued. "And when you were severely distraught was the same time Supergirl disappeared from the public." She crossed her arms. "You know, I'm kind of insulted you don't take me seriously as a detective." I looked at Maggie. "You can't say anything."

She held up her hands in surrender. "You can trust me, Kara." She stated. I looked over to Barry. "Let's go." I stated. "Whoa wait, why is he going?"

Barry smiled. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm the Flash." He bragged. I glared at him. "What? She was going to make the connection anyway." I rolled my eyes. "Stay here, we'll be back as quick as we can." I told Alex.

Barry and I raced off to the location of the aliens. I landed and found a few aliens still roaming around. They were injured, but not severely. "What happened here?" I asked. "Supergirl! Thank god. There was some crazy mad man running around and attacking all the aliens he could. Luckily, he took off before he killed anyone." A police officer stated. I noticed that Barry was talking to one of the injured aliens.

I walked over to Barry. "And then the man came over to me. It looked like he teleported in smoke and he swung a shadow at me. It knocked me out. I woke up and I saw that everything was in chaos. I watched as the man took off a few seconds later." The alien stated. Barry turned back to me. "It's definitely Shade. He's here. This is exactly how he started to take over our Earth, but only with metahumans and not aliens. We need to stop him soon."

"We will, Flash. Don't worry."

He gave a halfhearted smile. "A plus for attitude, but how are we going to accomplish that?" He asked. I shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, but we will figure it out, together." I grabbed his hand. Barry squeezed my hand back gently. I took off to the sky and Barry ran under me.

I landed back in my apartment and Barry arrived a few seconds later. "I beat you again." I smirked. He crossed his arms. "I let you win." He pouted. I laughed as I walked back into my room. He followed me. "Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?" I asked. He blushed. "I-uh-" He stuttered. "Go get dressed somewhere else. Preferably not in front of my sister and her girlfriend."

Barry rolled his eyes and walked off into the bathroom. "Like I need to make myself anymore of a possible punching bag for your sister and her presumably badass girlfriend." He commented as we both changed back into our normal clothes.

We walked back out to Alex and Maggie. "How did it go? What happened?" Alex asked. "The place was a mess. We talked to the aliens that were attacked and they confirmed that it was Shade."

"What do we do now?" Barry looked to me. "I'm not sure yet, but we'll find some way to beat Shade."

The room fell into silence. "This has gotten too gloomy and tense for my taste, and there is only one solution. Alcohol." Maggie stated as she pulled out a bottle of wine and some beer. She poured us all a glass of wine. Barry and I looked at each other and he shrugged. "Why not? It won't harm us any way."

Maggie's eyes widened. "You guys can't get drunk, can you?" We both shook our heads. "No, even super potent alcohol doesn't last long. I can feel it for a few seconds, but that is it." Barry stated.

"Yeah, all human alcohol doesn't affect me, and only some alien drinks can." I added. Maggie finished her glass. "Man, that sucks. You guys are missing out." She laughed. Alex rolled her eyes.

The night continued and slowly, Maggie and Alex became more drunk. Barry and were sitting on one side of the couch while Maggie and Alex were in the kitchen. The atmosphere was tense from the attack earlier on the aliens. I decided to lighten the mood. I saw Barry shiver in the corner of my eyes. I smiled childishly.

"Are you cold?" I asked. He nodded. "Then go to the corner." I held back my laugh as Barry stared at me. "Why would I do that?" He asked. "Because it's always 90 degrees." I burst out laughing and Barry cracked a smile. I recovered from laughing. "Wait, wait, I have another. Ready?" He nodded and I giggled. "Why don't cannibals eat clowns?" Barry sighed, but smiled. "Why?"

"Because they taste funny!" I cracked up laughing and fell onto the floor. Barry started to laugh.

Tears prickled at my eyes. "Are you crying?" He asked while still laughing. I wiped my eyes and sat up. "No, I'm good. I'm good." I heard Alex and Maggie talking in the background. "Are you sure that your sister can't get drunk off the regular stuff?" Maggie asked. "Yeah, trust me. She can't. Which may be a _good_ thing."

"Okay, but I thought you said she was from an advanced civilization? Like thousands of years ahead of us. More mature."

"Physically, yes. Mentally, think shoe size."

I turned over to face the kitchen. "Hey! You know that I can hear you, right?" Maggie paled and Alex stuck her tongue out.

"Your damn Kryptonian ears. Stop eavesdropping." Alex slurred slightly. I playfully glared at her. "Guard puppy." Alex chuckled to herself. My eyes landed on Maggie. Her eyes widened slightly. "How did you grow up with a super powered sister?"

Alex shrugged. "It was hard. Especially trying to keep secrets from her like when I would talk to our mom about gifts for Christmas and her birthday. Eventually we would just leave the house."

I smiled. "You realized that I caught on quickly? That every time that you left, I knew you were talking about what to get me?"

"Yeah, you were an impossible teenager." I laughed dryly. "Yeah and you weren't?" Alex paled. "Don't you dare." She warned. "What happened?" Maggie asked. "Kara." She warned again. I glanced over to Barry and he nodded. "Well, there were a few instances. But I saw this with my eyes. I remember not being able to breathe because I was laughing so hard. It was back in junior high school during Alex's 'rebellious' phase." I started. Alex groaned and grabbed another beer. Maggie sat down and listened. Alex stayed in the kitchen and began to chug the beer.

"And when I mean rebellious, it was more like 'stick it to the man, but only on weekdays' type of rebellion." Maggie cracked a smile and Alex another beer.

"So, our junior high school had an extremely strict cell phone use. Especially in the hallways. They wanted us to act as if there were no such things as phones, but this was when they were such a new trend and naturally everyone had one."

"There was this morbidly obese jerk of a teacher who practically preached this rule. So, what would Alex do? She would walk by while holding up her iPod to her ear. The teacher would spot her and start to chase after her. But it wasn't much of a chase." Alex took another large sip of beer.

"She would always lightly jog ahead of him while he chewed her out at the top of his lungs about the rule. Alex would spend a few minutes letting him huff and puff behind her before speeding away. I would always hear about the legendary girl who made him run down the hallways, but I never knew it was Alex."

I smiled. "Until one day, I was heading home when I heard shouting and running. I looked down the halls to see Alex sprinting down with a large smile and her hood up. The teacher trying to run after her. Apparently, it happened enough that the school changed the rule the next semester. And the teacher quit a few days after the rule was removed."

Maggie and Barry were laughing their heads off while Alex was blushing and drinking her beer. After their laughing died down, she joined us on the couch. "Do you have any other stories?" I smiled valiantly. "Oh, yeah tons! My other favorite story was in high school. It was when Alex and I were much closer together. She really wanted to go to this concert."

"Oh, no not this story." She complained. "It was just around the time that Alex got her driver's license. She told Eliza that we were going to sleep over at one of her friend's houses. Instead, we drove 5 hours to see some indie band that didn't last long in the business. We stayed the night in a crappy motel room and then drove back the next morning. And the best part was that Alex and I didn't tell Eliza until we graduated college."

I looked over to Alex who was smiling slightly. "It was a pretty good concert though, you have to admit it." I nodded. "Yeah, compared to the others that you dragged me to. But that lecture that Eliza gave us wasn't too fun." She laughed. "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking. I still can't believe she grounded us after we told her."

The night continued. Alex, Barry, Maggie, and I kept talking and keeping each other company until the late hours of the night. It was about 1:30 when Alex and Maggie finally decided to go back to their apartments. I yawned and picked up a beer bottle. Barry walked over to me and grabbed my forearm gently. "Kara, you can do this tomorrow. Why don't you go to sleep?" I smiled at him tiredly. "I don't want my apartment to smell like beer, or wine."

He took the bottle from my hand and placed it down on the table. "Go to sleep Kara, I can handle this." He stated. I shook my head. "No, if anything, you should be the one going back to your apartment and sleeping. Besides, I decided to have this date night and this is my apartment. You were my guest."

"Kara, I am also your boyfriend. I want to make sure that you are getting enough sleep. Especially with the recent events."

I yawned again unintentionally. He smiled in triumph. "See, you are tired. Go to bed. I can do this."

"How about we both finish up and then we both get to sleep?" I offered. "Sounds good to me." He picked up the bottles near him and walked away. About 15 minutes later, Barry and I were done. I sat down on the couch and took a sigh of relief. Barry sat next to me and placed his head on my shoulder. "I don't think that I'm going to go back to my Earth." He stated after a few minutes.

I pulled away from him. "You can't do that Barry, you know that." He smiled sadly. "Yes, I can. There are two outcomes from going up against Shade. Either way, my life won't be the same."

"You can't abandon those who are looking up to you and are depending on you." He shook his head. "I'm not, I'm just being realistic. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm not about to let you slip through my fingers. I love you, Kara."

Goosebumps ran across my skin and I lost my breath. "I-I-" I couldn't get words to come out of my mouth.

His eyes widened. "Oh, God, I said it too soon. I'm sorry. Kara, I didn't mean-" He stood up. "I should leave." Barry stated as he walked to the door. I grabbed his arm. "Barry, it's fine. It's okay. I want to- to say _it_ , but I can't. Not right now. Too many lives of those I hold close to my heart are in danger. I can't put you there too."

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I understand, Kara. I always will." He moved in close to me. I could hear his heartbeat pick up slightly as we closed the distance. Our lips met only for a few seconds before he pulled away. "Get some sleep." He stated before walking out the door. The door closed quietly and I placed my back to the wall. I slid down it slowly and put my head in my hands. "What did I do?" I sighed. I stayed there for a few minutes before going to sleep.

I rolled over the next morning and I groaned. The sun streamed through my window and hit me directly in the face. I threw my arm over my eyes.

I laid in silence, enjoying the warm rays as they cascaded down onto my skin. There was a harsh knock on my door. I waited and hoped that they would go away. They knocked even louder and I threw off my blankets. I sat up and used my x-ray vision to see who it was. Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry were waiting there. I jogged over to the door and answered it.

"Did we wake you up?" Cisco asked. "Yes, you did." I answered groggily. Barry smiled before it was hidden with a frown. "I'm really sorry, Kara. But we have information on Shade. Cisco was up all night and he may have found something." I allowed them into my apartment and I grabbed a cup of coffee. I sat down next to Caitlin. "I'm listening."

"We have reason to believe that Shade is hiding out in an abandoned military facility." Cisco stated. "And how do you know that?" I asked. Caitlin pulled out a small laptop and opened it.

There were multiple red marks on a map. "Shade must've stolen Cisco's vibing equipment from Star Labs. We think that's how he got to this earth."

"Then how did you guys get here?"

"Cisco had a large machine that could open up multiple breaches, but Shade destroyed it. Now we don't have any way to get back to our Earth, even if it is still there. The only way is to get Cisco's equipment back." Caitlin explained.

"Where's this facility located?"

"Somewhere out west. That's why need you and the DEO. We have nothing to attack him with, and we're not even sure if he's there. All we know is that he is going through the breaches there."

"I'll let J'onn and the rest of the DEO know that you guys have a lead on Shade." Caitlin smiled. "That you Kara. And we're really sorry for waking you up."

I stood up and so did they. "It's okay. This was important to all of you." They all walked out of my apartment. I called J'onn to let him know about the progress with Shade. As soon as I hung up, there was a loud painful ringing in my ears.

I covered them up, hoping to stop the pain, but it felt like it was inside of my head.

 _Hello Supergirl. I'm broadcasting this at 75,000 hertz and I know that you are listening to this. Painful, isn't it? We haven't formally met, but I think you know exactly who I am. I have been watching the Flash for a while, waiting for the perfect moment to get my revenge, but I realized something. Compared to you, he is nothing. You are the perfect specimen for my plans. I will be watching you. I'll keep in touch._

 **Hey guys! This chapter was a lot more lighthearted compared to a past few chapters. I just felt like there needed to be a bit of a bonding moment between the two Danvers sisters and their love interests. More action is on its way! I'll see you guys in the next chapter! ~Raya Kor-El**


	20. Chapter 20

I didn't realize that I was on my knees until I opened my eyes. I looked up to see Alex walking in with a confused look on her face. "Are you okay?" She asked. I nodded quickly. "Yeah, I was just looking for- something." Alex huffed. "You're such a bad liar. What's going on?"

I stood up. "Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin came here and told me that they have made progress with finding Shade. They think they know where he is. But they're going to need our help if they want to stop him. As soon as I finished telling J'onn, something happened. It was like what Vartox did to me. How he contacted me. It was the same ringing pain inside my head." I took a breath.

"He told me that he has been watching Barry, waiting to strike, but apparently now, he's interested in me." Alex took my hand. "Don't worry, Kara. He won't be able to touch you. You know that."

"Yeah, but I don't know what we're up against. No one does. Not even Barry."

She rubbed my forearm. "That's what we're here for Kara. We're here to figure it out and help Barry. Remember? That's why he came to our earth. That's why he personally sought you out, to get your help. Because he knows that you are capable." I smiled lightly. "Thanks Alex." She smiled back. "No problem Kara."

"So where do they think Shade is?" I shrugged. "Somewhere out west. They aren't sure if that is only where he opens the breaches, or if he is actually staying there."

There was a knock on my door. Alex stood up and I used my x-ray. "It's Maggie." I stated and Alex opened the door. Maggie stumbled into my apartment. Alex caught Maggie as she entered. "Whoa, I have you Maggie. Take it easy." Alex warned.

Alex brought Maggie over to the couch. I rushed over to her and I saw that she was beaten and bruised. Her lip was bleeding along with a small gash on her forehead. I handed her a cloth and she wiped away the blood. Alex rushed to the kitchen before hurrying back with some water. Maggie downed the glass quickly. "What happened to you?" Alex asked. "I was at the bar, just playing some pool. I just got off my shift and I decided to stop there. Everything seemed fine, until these people walked in."

"People? What did they look like?"

"Just normal people."

Maggie dabbed at her lip again. "Any way, they immediately made their way to me. They started to speak to me in some concoction of English and alien. Before I knew it, they started to attack me." She shifted her weight on the couch and grimaced. "Are you okay?" Alex asked. Maggie nodded, but I knew better.

I used my x-ray vision. "You have 3 cracked ribs. I don't think that qualifies as okay." Maggie chuckled before holding her side. "Ow. Damn you and your powers." She joked.

Alex crossed her arms. "You should to go the DEO and get checked out, officially." Maggie shook her head. "No, I'm fine Alex. It's not that bad." Alex looked over to me. Her eyes locked with mine and I understood. I gently grabbed Maggie and flew out of the window. "What the hell are you doing, Kara?" She shouted as she held on for dear life. "You were attacked possibly by aliens and are injured. It qualifies for a run to the DEO." I smiled as she buried her head into my shoulder. "You know I really hate heights." Her voice was muffled by my shoulder and the wind.

"Don't worry, we're almost there."

"We better be."

A few seconds later, we landed inside the DEO. "Kara? Officer Sawyer? What are you doing here?" Lucy asked. "Maggie was attacked by possible aliens and has 3 cracked ribs. Alex had me fly her here." I answered. Lucy nodded before looking at me up and down. "Uh, Kara, you realize you are in your pajamas?"

I looked down and squeaked in surprise as I saw my Green Bay Packers pajama pants and grey Midvale High academic t shirt.

"I'll-uh- be right back." I stated and rushed off to get some other clothes. I only found some black tactical gear. I shrugged as I threw on the black pants, shirt, and combat boots.

I walked back to the med bay and found Maggie sitting on a bed while Dr. Hamilton worked on her. Alex rushed to my side a few minutes later. "How is she?" I turned to Alex and I noticed she was showing a side others rarely saw; a side that I knew was there, but was hardly expressed. She only ever expressed it to me. Loving care and protection. I smiled softly. "She's fine. Hamilton is seeing to her now. Her ribs didn't look that damaged when I saw them. So, she should be good in a week or two."

Alex rubbed her temples. "Thank God." She sighed. I placed my hand on her back. "As soon as Hamilton is done, talk to her and see who these aliens were and what they wanted." I turned to walk away, but Alex grabbed my arm. "Where do you think you are going?" She asked. "I'm going back to the bar to see if anyone knew who they were."

"That's dangerous, Kara."

"I can handle myself. Besides, you need to be with your girlfriend at a time like this."

A new voice chipped in. "You don't think that I can't handle myself?" Maggie asked. "No, I never said anything like that. I only thought that you would want Alex to be with you. And she could ask you more questions about what they looked like. I can handle some aliens at the bar."

There was a ghost of a smile on Maggie's face. "I appreciate it, but these people were dangerous." I placed my hands on my hips. "I've fought other Kryptonians, some that were my family. I've taken down K'hunds, Hellgrammites, and rogue robots bent on killing. I think I can handle this." Maggie stared at me for a second before turning to Alex. "She's joking, right?"

"She disarmed a nuke in midflight, and took a direct blast to the chest with a bomb and survived. And let's not mention Myriad. I'm sure she can handle an alien bar."

"Thanks Kara." Maggie said as I started to walk away. "Never take me on a flight again!" She called out as I was leaving the DEO.

My phone rang and I picked it up. "Hello?" _Kara, where are you?_ "James?" _Yeah, it's me. I'm with Winn, Cisco, and Barry._ Panic was laced in his voice. "What's going on?" _Downtown National City is under attack._ "By who?" _You're not going to believe me._ "Who, James?" _It's-_

I grunted and held my hands to my head. It seemed more intense this time. _Hello Supergirl. I'm glad I have your attention. I've recruited some people to help me achieve my goal. Now, knowing you, you will try to stop them, but I highly doubt that you will be successful this time. But if you are willing to try, then come to downtown National City. We'll be waiting._

The pain and ringing were gone in an instant. _Kara? Kara!_ "OH! Yeah, James, I'll be there in a few. I need to pick up my suit. Hang on." _We'll try, but Barry isn't holding so well against them._

I was so caught up about Shade contacting me that I forgot to ask James who was the one attacking the city. I rushed back into the DEO and grabbed the spare Supergirl suit.

I was halfway to National City when Alex contacted me. "Yeah Alex?" _Supergirl, Maggie was right, you can't handle this. Not by yourself any way._ "I'm pretty sure I can Alex." _No, you can't_. "And why not?" _I was almost to the center of the destruction. Because the race of aliens that attacked Maggie were_ \- I cut her off. "Kryptonian."

I watched as a handful of Kryptonians flew around the city. Some of them using their heat vision to destroy buildings and terrorize the civilians. Others were running around and trying to cause as much destruction as they could. They weren't the only race of aliens attacking the city. I spotted a few Valeronians and some other species I didn't recognize. "Alex, we may have some more problems that just Kryptonians." _Like what?_ "Valeronians and some others I don't know."

I saw a red streak and immediately rushed down to help Barry fight off the alien chasing him. I grabbed onto the alien's arm the flung it into the sky.

Barry looked back to me and smiled. "Took you long enough to get here." He quipped. "Hey, I had other things to do. And I'm here now, aren't I?"

I turned my attention back to my comm. "Alex, I need you to call Kal. We need some serious help." _Okay, hold on._ I saw a Kryptonian flying toward us with his eyes glowing red. I tackled Barry and seconds later, there were 2 holes where he was standing. _He's on his way, Supergirl._

Barry and I continued to fight off the aliens attacking the city. I saw a red and blue streak in the sky. It landed next to me. "Phoned a friend?" Kal offered. "Thanks, Kal." He smiled and took off after a Valeronian. Barry chased after some red and purple alien and I flew after a Kryptonian. She maneuvered sluggishly through the buildings. I tackled her on the roof of CatCo and raised my arm to punch her.

I looked down at her face and I felt like I was hit in the gut. "Aunt Astra?" I asked. All anger and evil vanished from her eyes. "Little One?" The harsh ringing returned to my head and my hands flew up to my ears _._

I was caught off guard and I was tackled off Astra and thrown to the city square _. Now you know what allies I possess, Supergirl. If I were you, I would give up now. You and your friends can't survive this. And you know it. I'll give you a week to consider my offer._

The ringing stopped and I felt hands on my arms. Barry was hold me and Kal was shaking my shoulder. "You okay, Supergirl?" Barry asked. I shook my head. "What happened? The aliens took off and we looked for you. We saw you on the top of that roof with the other Kryptonian before something happened and when he threw you off her. Did they do something to you?" Kal asked.

"No. I-I- need to get back to the DEO. Something isn't right."

They protested as I jumped into the sky and took off to the DEO. I landed outside and started to walk in. I heard Kal land a few seconds after me and I heard Barry skid to a stop. "Kara!" Barry shouted. I ignored him and rushed off to the hologram room with my mother.

She smiled down at me as I entered. "Hello Kara." My heart was beating fast. "Is there any way that Aunt Astra could still be alive?"

Her smile disappeared. "No, the blade that impaled her contained Kryptonite. She passed into Rao's Light last year."

"That's impossible. I saw her. Is there any way she could've survived?"

"No, it is impossible to survive a wound that was described to me."

In the corner of my eye, I saw Barry, Alex, and Kal rush in. "Kara, what's going on?" Alex asked. "She just ran off after being tackled by another Kryptonian. We don't know what happened." Kal stated. I turned to them. "That Kryptonian I tackled, it was Astra. She is alive." Alex's eyes widened. "No, that's impossible. You know she's gone." She stated.

Tears stung my eyes and I clenched my fist. "You don't think I know that?" I snapped. I swallowed thickly and Barry came to my side. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "She was there. She recognized me." I bit my lip and held my forehead in my hand.

Alex and Kal looked completely surprised. "I don't understand how she could still be alive. Or any of these other Kryptonians that were wreaking havoc here." Kal stated. In that second, it felt like Barry sent electricity through my body. That electricity sparked a thought in my head. "It's because they're not from this universe."

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked.

"The Zanians, they came seeking refuge on Earth from their home planet. It was because Shade was trying to recruit them for his army. He must've done the same with your universe's Krypton. He found Fort Rozz, if they were sent there in your universe, and recruited them."

"How do you know that Krypton exploded in my universe?" Barry asked. "When I was talking with the Zanians, they asked how a Kryptonian survived. I figured that they were from this universe. But they obviously meant from your universe. So, Krypton must've exploded there too."

It was a sobering thought to know that even in another universe, I wouldn't have had a normal life on Krypton. It was even more sobering to think that I could've died that day with them.

Barry seemed to understand what I was thinking and he rubbed my arm soothingly.

"What else happened to you, Kara? You didn't respond to us after we got to your side." Kal asked and Barry seemed interested too. I hesitated. I looked to Alex and she nodded her head slowly. "Shade found out a way to contact me. He broadcasts messages at levels that only- wait, why couldn't you hear it?" I looked at Kal.

He shrugged. "I don't know. All I heard was some very loud ringing in my ears, but I thought that it was caused by the Valeronian's blow to my head." Alex furrowed her eyebrows. "I think that we may need to retest you and your powers' limits, Kara. I think they are still growing." Kal's eyes widened. "So, she can hear better than I can?"

"According to James, I'm also faster than you." Kal crossed his arms. "Whatever." He pouted like a little kid.

I smiled before coming back to the reality of the situation. "Shade told me that I have a week to consider his offer. If not, well, I guess you can figure it out." I looked down to the ground. Kal put his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kara. We are going to find a way how to take down Shade. I think it's time to call in some reinforcements, however." Alex and Barry looked confused. I simply groaned. "Fine, but I'm not going to be nice to him."

Kal laughed. "I didn't expect you to be nice. Just play nicely with him for now." Alex and Barry looked at each other. "I don't mean to butt into your conversation, but who are we talking about?" Barry asked. "Oh, sorry. It's Batman. He owes me a favor or two. And he has a lot of useful tech in his Batcave."

Alex crossed her arms. "We have useful tech." She argued defensively. "I'm not saying the DEO doesn't, it's just he has a certain knack for gadgets." Kal stated. "Why don't you like him?" Barry asked me. "More like why doesn't he like me. I met him when I visited Kal a few years ago. Immediately, he was cold to me and gave me attitude like a kid."

"It's because he's jealous of your powers." Kal stated. "Uh huh, sure." I stated unenthusiastically.

"Wait, wait, you met Batman a few years ago and didn't tell me?" Alex asked. I rolled my eyes. "I didn't tell you because I knew you would act like this."

"Like what?"

"Like Winn. Defensive of what the DEO has, but also fangirlish of him being Batman."

"I'm allowed to be like that. It's Batman."

I turned back to Kal. "Go ahead and call him. We are definitely going to need him when we're against so many other races." He nodded and walked off. Barry had a small smile on his lips. "What's gotten into you?" Barry shrugged. "Cisco is going to be so speechless when he sees Batman. And so is Winn. Have you noticed that they are practically the same person?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but then it's good that they have each other. They can quote movies and books to each other and no longer me. I mean I love movies, but not like them." Barry laughed and so did Alex. We walked out of the room and Alex went back to Maggie's side.

Barry and I raced off to our apartments. Barry went to tell Cisco, Iris, Caitlin, and Joe about our progress and I went to tell Winn and James. They both came to my apartment immediately after I called them. "What happened, Kara?"

I told them how Shade was contacting me, his army that he recruited from Barry's universe, and his deal for me to surrender to him. "You can't do it, Kara. We need you here." James argued. "I was never planning on joining him or surrendering." I stated blandly. "So, what do you want us to do?" Winn asked. "I need you to find Astra. If that really was her from another universe, then we have a chance of getting her and her soldiers to join us instead." Winn nodded. "Got it."

James looked at me. "What do you want me to do?" I locked eyes with him. "You aren't going to like it, but there are two things I need you to do for me."

"Name it."

"Make sure the Grants are safe at the DEO, and you need to stay there with them."

"Kara-"

I interrupted him. "No, James. This is dangerous. Shade knows exactly who I am. How to contact me. It's only a matter of time before he goes after everyone I love. I need you, the Grants, and Winn to get to the DEO and stay there. It will be safe for all of you. And the others will be there too. Barry wants them safe too."

"And what about Jeremiah and Eliza?"

"They're safe, we have some DEO agents with them now."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"What are you doing to keep yourself safe?"  
James stared at me. "I- I'm not doing anything. But I'll be okay. I'm Supergirl, and I'll have Barry with me. Let's not mention Kal and Batman will be there too." Winn's eyes widened. "Batman will be there?"

"To supply everyone with gadgets and to help us take down Shade."

"No way. If he is giving out Batarangs, I'm keeping one."

"Kara, we almost lost you last time. We can't afford to lose you this time."

I sighed. "I know James, but that's why I'm preparing this time. And I'm not alone. I'll have help. The DEO will also be there to give back up. But James, Winn, will you do this for me?"

There was a moment of silence. "Of course, Kara. We have your back." Winn stated. James nodded his head. "We promise." I smiled. "Good. Now, I need you to get to the Grants and get to the DEO. There will be a car waiting in front of the building in 2 hours."


	21. Chapter 21

2 days passed and I didn't get any message from Shade. I was in my apartment when I got a phone call. "Hello?" _Hey, Kara. I think I finally got a lead on Astra and the other Kryptonians_. "Really?" _Yeah, they are 3 hours north of here. On some abandoned ranch._ "Thank you, Winn. Let Alex know that I'll be there." _Wait, Kara. Doesn't this seem like a trap?_ "A bit, but I have to risk it. Besides, these Kryptonians might be hostile to any humans. It's best if I go." _Please be safe, Kara_. "I will. Thank you, Winn. I'll call you back soon." _Good luck._

I flew off to the location of the abandoned ranch. I landed down in the middle of the field and I could feel eyes watching me.

I put my hands up in surrender. _"I'm not here to hurt any of you. I only want to talk to General Astra."_ I stated in Kryptonian. There was some movement off to my left in the barn. I used my x-ray vision to see a few Kryptonians waiting in there. _"I promise I won't hurt any of you. I only want to talk. And I am alone. I didn't bring anyone with me. I don't have any weapons."_ Finally, I heard footsteps. I saw Astra and a few Kryptonians walk out, ready to attack.

"Little One?"

My heart clenched. "Aunt Astra." I breathed. She smiled at me and the other Kryptonians eased out of their stances. "How did you survive? I was told no others from the House of El survived except Non and I." I swallowed thickly. "I didn't survive in that Krypton's explosion, did I? But I survived in this one."

"What are you talking about?"

"How did you survive?"

"The military guild was building a secret ship that could be sent to planets far away from Krypton. Your parents, along with Jor-El, discovered the planet was dying."

She paused. "They told the guild about it, but our superiors didn't listen. The Kryptonians that are here now were the only ones that did. They tried to build ships to send you and Kal-El to Earth, but it was too late."

I bit my lip. "In this universe, my parents didn't tell the guild right away, instead they worked with Jor-El and made the ships for Kal-El and I. We escaped, and the planet exploded."

"Did Non and I survive?"

I hesitated. "Yes, but the only reason you did was because you were sentenced to Fort Rozz in the Phantom Zone for treason." I explained. Relief crossed her face. "Once we heard that the planet was dying, we considered some terrible ideas to save the planet. Was it called Myriad?"

I nodded. "Thank Rao I talked Non out of that." She stated. I looked over her shoulder to the other Kryptonians. "Where is Non?"

The Kryptonians looked down. "Shade killed him as soon as we escaped the blast. Shade tried to recruit us, but he refused. So, Shade killed him and now we are in Shade's army." She explained.

"That is part of the reason why I am here now, Aunt Astra. I've come to see if you would fight on our side, against Shade?" I offered. She nodded. "Of course, we will, Little One. But we don't have as many Kryptonians as we did in the city. Shade attacked more of us after that battle. What you see now is all we have." She stated. "You'll be safer with us." I took off into the sky and they followed behind me.

The Comm in my ear started to go off. _Kara? How did it go?_ "I'm fine Winn. I'll be back soon." _Did they agree?_ "Yeah, they're following me right now. Let J'onn and Lucy know." _We already do, Supergirl._ Another voice added. "We're about 10 minutes out, J'onn."

I could sense the others' unease about going to the DEO. "J'onn, I need to ask a favor." _What is it?_ "I know that it is against protocol, but you can't come out with agents and guns. They are already uneasy as it is. We don't need a handful of terrified super powered people."

 _Understandable. I promise, Supergirl, we won't._ "Thank you. We'll be there soon." We landed a few minutes later. J'onn and Lucy walked up to us. "Aunt Astra, this is Director J'onn J'onzz, and Lucy Lane." I introduced. Astra and the other shook their hands. J'onn and Lucy took the Kryptonians and showed them to their quarters.

I walked back to the hologram room. "Hello Kara." My mother greeted. "Not now Mom. I just need some time to myself." I stated. She bowed her head and disappeared. I sat down in the corner of the room and laid my head against the wall. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. A few seconds later, I heard the doors open. Someone sat down next to me and put their arm around my shoulder. "Are you okay?" I opened my eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine Winn."

There was a short silence. "How did you find me in here?" I asked. "I saw J'onn and Lucy with Astra. I knew that you would want to be somewhere secluded. Somewhere you could be alone and have your thoughts to yourself." He stated. "Then why are you here?" I asked. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay. When Astra died, you were cold; you cut yourself off from J'onn, Alex, everyone. I didn't want you to be feeling like that again."

I smiled softly. "Thanks Winn, but I'm okay." He placed his hand on my hand and squeezed gently. "Kara, I know you. You're allowed to be sad. To miss her, to miss your planet, your family. It's okay." I took a deep breath. "Thank you, Winn. But I'm with my family now. I'm on my planet, and my aunt is alive. I don't need to be sad anymore. I have everything."

He smiled and stood up. Winn offered me his hand. I grabbed it and he pulled me up. We started to make our way back to the control room. The pain came like a tsunami and crashed into my skull. I gripped my head in my hands and screamed out. My eyes were clenched shut and I bared my teeth.

 _HOW DARE YOU TAKE AWAY MY KRYPTONIANS! YOU INSOLENT LITTLE PEST! IT IS CLEAR WHAT SIDE YOU HAVE CHOSEN! I HOPE YOUR EARS BLEED AS YOU LISTEN TO ME! I WILL MAKE THIS A LIVING HELL FOR YOU! WHEN THE TIME COMES, I SHALL ENJOY MURDERING YOU AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. OF COURSE, I WILL MAKE YOU WATCH AS THEY SUFFER BEFORE I KILL YOU!_

The pain vanished and I opened my eyes. I was on all fours and Winn's face was inches from mine. His lips were moving and it took me a second to realize he was talking to me.

"Kara, Kara? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

I slowly stoop up and Winn helped me. "I'm fine. But Shade just figured out that we leveled the playing field a bit. He wasn't happy."

I felt something trailing down my neck. Winn noticed and his eyes widened. "Is that- blood?" He asked nervously. I reached up and wiped the liquid off my neck. I pulled away and saw bright red on my fingers. "Blood." I repeated. Winn grabbed my arm and lead me to the med bay. "Dr. Hamilton!" I was sat down on a bed next to Maggie's. Alex stood up and rushed to my side. "What the hell happened? Is that her blood?" Maggie looked concerned as well.

Dr. Hamilton rushed over to me. "What happened? I though the mission was a success?"

"It was, and I'm fine." I dismissed.

"Mission? What mission?" Alex asked.

Winn explained to her that I went to get Astra and the other Kryptonians. "Why didn't you tell me, Kara? You know how dangerous that could've been!"

I covered my still ringing ears. "I know that." I offered softly. "What happened to you?" Maggie and Hamilton asked. "Shade. He found out what I did and he contacted me, very painfully I might add." Hamilton wiped away the remaining blood. "How's your hearing now?" She asked. "A bit sensitive, but feeling tons better." Kal rushed into the med bay. "Kara, he's here." I stood up and followed Kal out, despite everyone's protests.

Winn, Alex, and Maggie trailed after Kal and I. We walked back to the control room, where Batman was standing in all his brooding glory. Winn and Alex tried to hide the fact that they were gushing over Batman and I walked over to him. I offered my hand to him. "Batman." He shook my hand. "Supergirl." The room seemed to have dropped 30 degrees by his tone. I ignored it. "Thank you for coming here to help us." J'onn stated. "Of course, we're all here to protect the Earth." He stated, but his cold eyes never left me.

J'onn turned to Winn. "Agent Schott. I want you to brief Batman and give him access to anything he needs. He will be working alongside you." Winn looked over to Batman with childlike wonder. There was a small hint of a smile on Batman's face. "If-if you could follow me Bat-Batman." Winn stuttered as he led Batman away. I rolled my eyes as they walked away. "Play nice Kara." Kal warned.

"I'm trying."

The next few days passed. Batman and Winn created weapons for the DEO agents to have against the rest of Shade's army. Maggie was healing and Alex was right by her side. Barry and I stayed mostly at the DEO, keeping guard in case Shade was to attack us.

I walked down the halls of the DEO. The Grants were staying with the Wests in a private sector of the DEO. They were stalked with weapons in case Shade or anyone else broke into the DEO. Caitlin and Cisco were also working behind some of the weapons that Batman and Winn were working on. Of course, Cisco was gushing over Batman as well.

I walked into the office where Batman was set up. "Kara." He stated without looking up. "Bruce." I greeted just as icily. He looked up to me. "What do you want?" He asked. "I just wanted to say, personally, thank you for everything that you have done."

"Like I said, we all are here to protect the Earth."

"I know, but you are also here for another reason, even though I don't know what it is for. But that doesn't matter."

"There is something else on your mind." He stated as a spark flew from one of his gadgets. "Yes. I'm not sure how tomorrow will turn out, but I want you to watch over my family. All of them. I don't care that you can't stand me-" He cut me off. "It's not that I can't stand you. It's that I don't understand you."

"Huh?"

"My whole world was taken away from me when my parents were shot. I battled with myself. I didn't know what to do. I didn't many people to turn to. My world after that was dark and I could feel the temptation of evil. But you, you had your entire world stripped from you. Absolutely no one to turn to."

"And then you have another life thrown in your face. A new group of people to live with, a new culture. But somehow, you are- well, you. I don't understand how your suffering could've lead you to be Kara Danvers, to be Supergirl. I always thought that you would turn into a force of evil, especially with all the powers you possess. I was expecting the worst from you, but I always got the best. I couldn't understand how you became you. I even synthesized Kryptonite in case you went berserk. Not my proudest moment. And now here you are, talking with me, someone who you've always butted heads with, and making sure there is a backup plan if you decide to go all heroic on us. How?"

"I honestly don't know. I admit that I've wanted to do evil things. To not be Supergirl. But I know that it wouldn't be what my parents wanted. I am the last of their legacy. I am the last daughter of Krypton. I know that I needed to preserve our name. Kal has already lived up to our Crest, but I knew that I have to live up to it as well."

He stared at me with amazement. "I truly am sorry for the way I treated you Kara. It wasn't fair. I wasn't being the man I was supposed to be."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Bruce, you are everything that your parents wanted you to be. You're holding up the Wayne's name. People look to you, both as Bruce Wayne, and as Batman. You are the man that your parents wanted to be. Keep your head up."

I saw a stray tear run down his cheek. He stood up abruptly and held me in a hug. "Thank you, Kara. That means the world to me. Is there anything I could ever do for you?"

"Protect my family. Oh, and maybe give Winn a Batarang? He absolutely loves Batman. Maybe even more than Supergirl." He pulled away and I walked out of the office.

I walked quietly down the hall. "Supergirl." Someone stated and pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned around. "Hello Miss Grant."

I noticed that she didn't look the same. Immediately, I knew what she was thinking. "I know that you don't enjoy being here, Miss Grant. But I want to ensure that you and Carter are completely safe. You only a have few more days here and then you'll be free to go." I stated.

"That wasn't why I wanted to talk with you. I just wanted to say that yes, we are being held in a place where supposedly an agency deals with aliens and other threats, is that we are grateful that you are willing to protect us."

"I didn't want there to be any attempts on your lives."

"I know that, and that is why I am saying thank you."

I nodded and walked off. There was a sense of calamity in the DEO. It was relaxing, but also kept me on edge. It was like the calm before the storm. And I know that this storm could be deadly if I let it be. I bumped into Barry as I walked mindlessly. "Kara, hey. Are you okay?" I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking about tomorrow." He smirked. "I think we all are. Don't worry though, we all have each other. We'll be alright." He stated and kissed me quickly. _Will we though?_

The night slowly turned into the day, but it didn't matter to me. I was ready. J'onn, Lucy, Astra, the Kryptonians, DEO agents, Alex, Batman, Barry and I took off to the abandoned military facility.

When we arrived, we found no one. I scanned the facility, but found nothing. Barry ran around the perimeter and didn't find anything either. Tension was high.

Pain bounced around in my head. _You are all fools! Thinking that I would be in the most obvious place? Hahaha. Pathetic. And here I was waiting for a good fight with you Supergirl. But it seems that you are too thick that you can't even find me. I'll give you a hint. It's National City. Oops. Oh well, come and get me Supergirl. I can't wait to fight you and your pathetic little army. And do hurry, I don't believe that National City can stand this much destruction anymore. Especially all the helpless civilians._

The pain disappeared and I stood up. "We need to get out of here! He's in the city! This was a set up!" I shouted. I jumped into the sky along with Kal and the other Kryptonians. Barry raced under us and Batman drove the Batmoblie.

Smoke and fire could be seen from miles away. I heard screams and explosions coming from the city.

There were multiple swirling black cyclones in the sky. They circled the buildings and slowly demolished them. I pushed myself faster and I could see other species of aliens attacking the city.

We began to take down the aliens until the DEO arrived. With all the weapons that were built, the aliens were taken down easily. I landed next to Kal, who was nursing a bloody forehead wound, and J'onn, who was unconscious, but being taken care of by a DEO agent. "What happened to you two? Where is Alex and Barry?" Kal looked up to me. "He's in CatCo. He attacked us and took Alex and Barry. He has power, Kara. Power that can kill us."

I jumped into the sky and burst into CatCo. There, Barry and Alex were tied up by some pulsating black smoke and they were unconscious. There was some indication of a fight between the bruises and blood. A man who was a bit shorter than me stood near the two of them. He had pale skin, black hair, and dark eyes. In his left hand, he held a walking cane and on his forehead was some gear that I guessed was Cisco's vibing equipment. "Hello Kara Danvers, I mean _Supergirl_. It's nice to finally meet you." He held out his hand. I eyed his hand warily. "What? It's impolite to not shake someone's hand."

I stayed silent and glared at him.

He shrugged. "It's just a handshake. Just humor me, I'm British." He held out his hand higher this time. His dark eyes narrowed at me and a thin smile grew on his lips.

"No? Okay then."

He raised the cane, and was about to hit Alex's forehead. "NO! Fine." I walked over cautiously and grabbed his hand. He quickly grabbed something from behind him and clipped it on my wrist. It pinched my skin and I heard a light buzzing sound. The metal bracelet started to glow green. I could feel Kryptonite suppress my powers.

He laughed manically and tightened his grip on my hand while pulling me close. "I am your worst nightmare. I know that it isn't your own pain you fear. You fear the pain of those you love more, isn't that the essence of love? Did you think that I wouldn't know? I can't feel love, of course, the poison that it is, but understanding it makes my art all the greater. I never take out a worthy adversary until they cease to try, their loved ones however are fair game." He whispered maniacally.

He paused and released my hand he walked to the other side of Miss Grant's desk. "The wonderful thing is you'll tell me who you really love with your actions, I won't ever have to guess my next best move. So really, you're playing for me, guiding me right to the best targets. I thank you for that." He walked over to Alex and Barry. He propped the cane under Alex's chin. "The loving older foster sister. Always wanting to protect you from the pains of human life. So much so that she ruined her own life."

He walked over to Barry and placed the cane under his chin. "The loving boyfriend. The one that could truly understand what you are going through daily. You make me sick." He started to circle around them. "I promised to make you hear them suffer. To see the lights leave their eyes as they die. So, I guess it's time to wake them up, no?"

He snapped his fingers and some of the swirling smoke left their bodies. Immediately, Alex and Barry woke up. They looked around and realized what was happening. "Leave them out of this." I commanded. He smiled toothily. "But then where is the fun in that?"

I clenched my fist. He looked down and laughed. "Ooh, the girl scout is mad. Whatever am I to do?" Suddenly, he disappeared.

I heard a whoosh behind me and I was hit in the head with his cane. I turned around and saw the black smoke surrounding him. "Why are you doing this?" He rolled his eyes. "Ah, the stereotypical 'why are you doing this'. How about a 'what do you want?' No? It's okay, I love it no matter what. Anyway, it was revenge from the Flash. The original Flash, Jay Garrick. And then it moved on to world domination. And now, total universal domination." He grinned evilly.

I swung my fist, but it only caught air. He teleported behind me. "Kara, behind you!" Alex warned. I ducked and I heard a blade ring through the air. I turned around and saw Shade pulling out a blade from his cane. I heard Alex and Barry struggling to get out of the bindings. "Ah, ah, ah. You can't be doing that." He stated and snapped his fingers. A few black smoke bodies rose from the ground and surrounded them. I rushed over and tackled one of the figures. It disappeared as soon as I landed on the ground. "What the hell?" Barry stated.

Shade teleported in front of me and slashed at my side. I cried out as the blade made contact. I kicked his knee and tried to jump over the couch and out of the way of his downward arc.

He grabbed onto my cape and slammed me down on the table. I coughed as the cape temporarily choked me. "You're not going anywhere." He snarled. He plunged the blade down and I rolled out of the way. It caught on my cape, but I ripped it off.

Shade and I continued to fight. I barely landed any punches on him because as soon as I got close, he would teleport away. I nursed a few cuts from the blade. I heard a cry and I looked over to Alex and I saw a smoke figure getting ready to stab her. I jumped out of the way of Shade's blade and tackled the being. Once again it disappeared, but not without my hitting my head and everything becoming blurry for a second. Shade took this as the opportunity to pin my leg down with his sword. The blade went right through my thigh. I screamed out and he smiled.

"Wait right there, Kara. I'll be back in a few seconds." He teleported out of the room.

My heart was beating quickly and blood was flowing. Alex and Barry stared at me for a second, before trying to get out of the smoke bindings. I put my hand on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Shade returned a second later with bound Kal and a bloodied Astra. "They'll be next, but first, I think the sister."

He pulled down the vibing glasses and opened a portal. "This leads to your destroyed universe, Barry Allen. After the collapse of your Earth, the rest of the solar system followed because the whole universe was out of sync. As soon as any of you pass through this portal, you will instantly be vaporized." The smoke left Alex and Shade held onto her tightly. Alex spat at his face and he slapped her. It caused me to see red. I pulled up the blade that was pinning me down and I tackled Shade. Alex fell to the ground weakly.

Shade picked me up like I weighed nothing and threw me across the room. I broke through the wall and into another office. My head spun and I shook it to clear it up. Shade picked up the blade and was advancing on Alex. I leaned heavily on the wall and limped as blood spilled from my leg. I stealthily made it to Miss Grant's office again.

Alex was second from being pushed into the portal. I looked over to Barry. "I love you Barry Allen."

I stood up and charged at Shade. I yelled as I advanced on him. He turned around, but not before he was tackled by me. Alex dove out of the way as Shade and I went through the portal.

The End

 **Hey guys! I'm sorry for not posting yesterday, but my brother had to be rushed to the ER because he severely dislocated his ankle. It was really bad, like gross bad. *shivers in disgust* And I had my final for my summer class due. So yeah, sorry about that, but hey, it's a double post!**

 **And yes, it's true. That is the end of this book. *cries***

 **Wait, book!? Yes! I have another part to this story! Come on, you think that I would just end it like that? Haha oh no. I don't know when I'll post it, but it will be soon. I hope you guys have a great day and I'll see you in the next book! ~Raya Kor-El**


	22. Author's Note (Sequel)

**Hey guys, if you haven't heard so already, I posted the sequel to I Need You. It's called Now More Than Ever. You guys should check it out when you get the chance. I hope you enjoy! ~Raya Kor-El**


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